Ottawa residents and visitors will be able to ring in 2026 with a skate on the Rideau Canal Skateway.
The National Capital Commission says a 3.4-kilometre section of the skateway will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, between Somerset Street and the Bank Street Bridge.
“As a true winter capital, Ottawa offers an unparalleled cold season experience,” NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum said in a statement.
“We invite everyone to come out to the Skateway, embrace the festive spirit, and enjoy this uniquely Canadian moment in the heart of our nation’s capital.”
Rideau Canal Skateway A 3.4 km stretch of the Rideau Canal Skateway will open to the public on Wednesday. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)
This will be the 56th season of skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway.
“The cold weather in December provided ideal conditions for our operations. More sections of the Skateway should open as soon as ice conditions permit,” the NCC said in a statement.
“This season, due to the rehabilitation of the Patterson Creek Bridge, the Patterson Creek skating area will be closed. A temporary staircase was added nearby, close to Monkland Avenue.”
The last time the Rideau Canal Skateway opened in December was in 2018, when the skateway opened on Dec. 30. It opened on Dec. 28 in 2004 and Dec. 21, 1997.
Last winter, the Rideau Canal Skateway opened for the season on Jan. 11. The season ended after 52 days of skating on March 10.
Rideau Canal Skateway A 3.4 km section of the Rideau Canal Skateway will open to the public on Wednesday, Dec. 31. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)
