OTTAWA | It is one of the most famous places in the country. But the Rideau Canal, the world’s largest ice rink, is in danger of not opening for the first time in its history. The reason: a much too mild winter.
With unusually high temperatures in December and January — sometimes barely freezing — Ottawa is expected to experience its third warmest winter, authorities report.
“This year we have a challenge from Mother Nature: the mild weather makes it difficult to build good solid ice,” said Bruce Devine, National Capital Commission (NCC) ice rink manager.
For this channel, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to be navigable, the mercury must stay between -10 and -20 degrees for almost two weeks.
“Currently, the ice is porous in several places and of poor quality,” regrets the manager while inspecting a part of the ice rink that he still wants to open.
Normally accessible for 30 to 60 days from late December, the canal’s opening has been gradually reduced in recent years.
In 2002 we had to wait until February 2nd to skate there.
“Obviously we are seeing more and more of the effects of climate change in Canada,” and the canal is “an example of how our climate is changing,” said Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Tuesday.
“PART OF DNA”
The Rideau Canal traverses the heart of Ottawa for more than 7.8 kilometers and draws an average of 22,000 visitors per day. “It’s part of the residents’ DNA,” says Bruce Devine.
Basically, tourists and locals meet there every winter, sometimes using it to get to work, briefcase in hand.
To preserve its winter treasure for a few more years, the city of Ottawa launched a series of studies two years ago to “better understand ice formation,” explains Shawn Kenny, a professor at Carleton University in ‘Ottawa. “The goal is not necessarily to prolong the season, the expert points out, but to try to encourage the formation of the ice so that in the future, when the effects of climate change are felt, we can enjoy this iconic place.”
To this end, he and his team are testing the effectiveness of snow cannons or thermosiphons, a tool used in the far north to prevent permafrost from thawing under roads and buildings.
Despite these technological advances, the professor recognizes that “at some point we will reach a stage where it may no longer be possible to open the ice rink.”
HAPPY NEW WINTER
“I don’t think anyone has ever experienced a situation like this,” says Davey Wright, manager of the canal kiosks, where you can enjoy a beaver tail.
In the wake of the pandemic and the trucking crisis that paralyzed Ottawa for several weeks last winter, downtown businesses are feeling the pinch.
“Skating on the canal is our biggest attraction. What people are talking about, why they come back,” said Steve Ball, president of the Ottawa-Gatineau Hotel Association.
“We generally assume completeness,” he adds. But that remains to be seen. Without the canal it might be difficult to get there.”