NCC studies artificial freezing for Rideau Canal Skateway as warmer winters shrink skating season

Ottawa's National Capital Commission is studying whether artificial cooling could keep part of the Rideau Canal Skateway open through warmer winters. The proposal would embed refrigeration pipes in a 900-metre stretch, about 10 per cent of the 7.8-kilometre rink, and could triple the number of skating days. The project would cost millions and would not arrive before 2030. The skateway failed to open at all in 2023 and ran for only 10 days in 2024, pushing the NCC to look at mechanical freezing as a climate adaptation measure. Officials say the system could aim for carbon neutrality by recovering and reusing waste heat. The rest of the canal would still depend on natural ice. The feasibility study is under review, with federal funding being explored. A reliable season could protect Winterlude tourism, which draws about 500,000 visitors each February.