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If approved, the proposed project would cover just over 10 per cent of the popular skateway.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
The operators of the iconic Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa may turn to artificial cooling to keep it frozen in the coming years, as climate change wreaks havoc with the centrepiece of the city’s Winterlude festival.
A feasibility study investigating the option of using refrigeration pipes to help freeze a 900-metre stretch of the canal in Ottawa’s downtown is currently under consideration by the National Capital Commission.
The project would cover just over 10 per cent of the skateway. The rest would still rely on the co-operation of nature.
The NCC is the capital’s public lands planner and manages the cultural character of the area. It manages the Rideau Canal Skateway as a part of a parliamentary mandate.
Tobi Nussbaum, NCC chief operating executive officer, told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning show this week the study recommends using refrigeration pipes embedded in concrete – a system similar to the ones used to freeze many outdoor rinks.
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Bruce Devine, the NCC’s senior manager of facilities and programs, told The Canadian Press that if the project proceeds, it would be costly.
“It’s significant. It will be in the millions. We will be looking for funding from a federal program. Other sources of funding will be researched,” he said.
He said the number of days the canal is open could triple if the plan goes ahead, but it wouldn’t happen until after 2030.
Devine said an emphasis would be placed on reducing the project’s carbon footprint.
“If such a system is feasible, the project would be aiming for carbon neutrality. And this is true by identifying opportunities to recover and reuse the heat. So that’s a principle that we have with this project,” he said.
The Skateway first opened in 1971 when the NCC cleared a small portion of ice on the canal for skating. It has since expanded to become the world’s largest skating rink, offering 7.8 kilometres of ice for people to enjoy.
The NCC says it sees 19,000 visitors daily during the winter months.
The Skateway is also a popular feature of Ottawa’s Winterlude festival, which hosts an average of 500,000 visitors over about two-and-a-half weeks every February.
In 2023, one of the warmest winters on record kept the Skateway from opening at all for the first time in its history. In 2024, another warmer-than-usual winter meant it could open for just 10 days.
Devine says a plan to ensure at least some of the Skateway can open each year could drive tourism at the UNESCO World Heritage site.
“I think people will be able to make a clear decision as to which day they would like to come and plan around their visits. That will be known information, ‘Definitely, I can skate and it’s not weather-permitted.’ So no, I think it’s going to sustain and help tourism,” he said.
The Weather Network says this winter is expected to be warmer than the average.