Ottawa's Rideau Hall Skating Rink Is Opening & Here's What We're Waiting For With The Canal (CORRECTION)
Lace up those skates! ⛸️
The Rideau Hall skating rink.
While Ottawa residents wait for the Rideau Canal to freeze over for skating, they'll at least be able to hit the ice this month at nearby Rideau Hall.
The Rideau Hall skating rink will officially welcome visitors from January 13 to March 3, 2024, weather permitting.
Why you should care: The rink, which is located on the grounds of Rideau Hall, will be open seven days a week and offers free skating. Visitors can stay warm and lace up their skates in the Winter Pavilion, a restored heritage building.
What they're saying: "Members of the public are invited to lace up their skates and enjoy the historical Rideau Hall skating rink this winter season," a press release says. "Tucked away on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the skating rink has hosted generations of skaters and shaped the culture of winter sports in Canada."
ICYMI: The iconic Rideau Canal has yet to announce an opening date this year. The Skateway hasn't operated since 2022 after mild temperatures made for "unsafe" ice conditions during the 2023 season, marking the sole instance in the Skateway's history that it didn't welcome skaters.
On January 6, 2024, the NCC tweeted, "Our team is hard at work, but more cold weather is needed to create a safe skateway. Stay tuned!"
According to the tweet, at least 30 centimetres of "good quality ice" are needed to open the Skateway, which typically requires 10 to 14 consecutive days of cold weather.
Full details on the Rideau Hall skating rink including hours of operation can be found on the Governor General of Canada website.
Keep reading: Here are some other magical spots to skate around Ontario this winter.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the Rideau Canal was opening on January 13. It has been updated to clarify that the Rideau Hall skating rink will be opening on January 13.