Canada's iconic Rideau Canal Skateway, the world's largest natural ice skating rink, will open its doors Sunday morning for the first time in two years, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced.
The 7.8-kilometre Rideau Canal Ice Rink, which first opened more than 50 years ago, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ottawa, Canada's capital, and is one of the top attractions for skating enthusiasts looking for thrills in the air. Outdoors during the winter period. Cold Canadian winter.
NCC, which maintains and operates the skating rink, said the canal did not open for skating last season, early 2023, for the first time due to a lack of ice, blaming the closure on a mild winter caused by the change. climate.
“Our team learned a lot from the challenges we faced last year and was able to put measures in place, with the help of more seasonal temperatures, to make it happen this year,” said NCC CEO Toby Nussbaum.
“The 1.9 km stretch between the Pretoria Bridge and the Bank Street access points will be opened to skateboarders,” the NCC stated.
Previously, the NCC said they could only open when the ice was at least 30 centimeters thick, and there must be between 10 and 14 consecutive days of temperatures between -20 and -10 degrees Celsius (between -4 and 14 degrees Fahrenheit). ). ).
The National Coordinating Committee and the Canadian Standards Board commissioned a climate change risk assessment to understand the impact of climate change on Skateway.
In a moderate emissions scenario, the report says, “the NCC should prepare for seasons of less than 40 slippery days about 50% of the time.”
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With information from Reuters
