Winterlude is just around the corner!
Let’s Go Ottawa
The snow has started to fall in Ottawa and thoughts are turning to Christmas, the holidays and the whole winter season!
This winter marks the 42nd season of organized ice skating on the frozen Rideau Canal Skateway. The Canal snakes 7.8 km (4.8 miles) through downtown Ottawa— kids skate to school, people skate to work! It’s the equivalent in size to 90 Olympic-sized ice rinks, giving it the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink.
It takes several consecutive days of -15° Celsius (-5° Fahrenheit) or colder temperatures to ensure that the ice is at least a foot thick. That’s when the National Capital Commission deems it safe enough to open to the public — usually in late December or early January.
Read m0re on the Let’s Go Ottawa blog: Winterlude is just around the corner!
Skateway ‘shacks’ go upscale
New $750,000 shelters in place along Rideau Canal
OTTAWA — At $750,000 apiece, the new shelters on the Rideau Canal Skateway may cost the same as a house, but they’re not built like one.
For starters, the skateway receives up to a million local and international visitors a year. The structures are designed to be welcoming, durable and in keeping with their high public profile.
“That’s a hefty price tag but it’s not surprising,” said Carleton University architecture professor Yvan Cazabon. “Structurally they’re more involved than your average little shack. It has to be hoisted. There’s a lot of custom building. It’s not a Home Depot kit of parts.”
The National Capital Commission has installed seven new chalets — four change rooms and three washrooms — to replace battered wood structures used since the 1970s.
The total cost was $5.24-million, or about $750,000 per shelter. The project was paid for by the federal government’s $4-billion infrastructure stimulus fund, created to fight the recession.
Calling Young Photographers From Across Canada
NCC invites young Canadians to create photography with an environmental theme for exhibit on the world’s largest skating rink
[Source: NCC press release]
Canada’s Capital Region ─ The National Capital Commission (NCC) invites young photographers from across Canada to create and submit original photographic works of art for exhibit this winter in Dows Gallery, on the Rideau Canal Skateway.
Dows Gallery is an outdoor space in Canada’s Capital where young people can express themselves through art. This winter’s exhibit, Eco Art will feature photographic artwork with an environmental theme. During the 2012 skating season, Eco Art will display 40 works of art, in large scale format, to hundreds of thousands of skaters on the Rideau Canal Skateway, as well as to virtual visitors in an online gallery. In the summer of 2012, a selection of the winning photos will also be featured in an outdoor exhibit during the Capital’s busy festival season.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Who: Canadian residents 14 to 24 years old
What: Creative, exciting, original photography, on the theme of the environment
How: To enter the contest, participants must have a Flickr account. This is free, and can be obtained at www.flickr.com. Participants must then submit their photograph to the Eco Art Éco photo group on Flickr, and include a statement of 25 words or less, in English or French, about the message of their photograph. Full details at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/eco-art.
*** The deadline to submit artwork is October 31, 2011. ***
NEW THIS YEAR ─ PRIZES TO BE WON!
The top three winning photos will each win a prize of valuable photography equipment, courtesy of Henry’s Canada:
Jury’s Choice Award Approximate value: $1,800.00
People’s Choice Award Approximate value: $1,100.00
Henry’s Choice Award Approximate value: $1,100.00
Residents, visitors enjoy last days of Winterlude
By Bruce Deachman, The Ottawa Citizen
Photo Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen
After a premature and, many might say, all-too-brief dalliance with springtime, Ottawa got back to the cold, hard business at hand — winter — Sunday, as thousands of people donned balaclavas, long johns and extra socks and ventured outside to take part in Winterlude before it closes for yet another year on Monday. An obliging Mother Nature pushed the mercury down from Friday’s high of 11 to a more bracing -15 (take away nine more to feed the windchill), allowing the NCC to reopen Jacques-Cartier Park and a large stretch of the Rideau Canal Skateway for the second-to-final day of the popular festival.
At Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau, the numerous perennial ice slides remained the chief attraction, although there was no shortage of goings-on to keep even the most hyperactive occupied. As tots built small, precarious houses from brightly coloured blocks of snow and ice, older kids roasted marshmallows over a wood fire or climbed, and ultimately fell off, various play structures. One youngster, eager for a hug from something large, warm and furry, twice approached one of the Winterlude mascots — they’re called Ice Hogs, but closer resemble bloated chipmunks — but each time turned away screaming for her mother. Others tried their hands — or feet, rather — at snowshoeing, while still more, such as nine-year-old Nicholas Cox, on his fourth visit to a Winterlude venue, attempted to scale a rock wall.
Full story on the Ottawa Citizen website: Residents, visitors enjoy last days of Winterlude
SAFETY ADVISORY: TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY
The National Capital Commission (NCC) wishes to advise the public that the Rideau Canal Skateway will be temporarily closed as of tomorrow, Thursday, February 17, at 6 am because of the weather and its negative impact on the ice.
The Rideau Canal Skateway will remain closed until further notice.
The NCC urges skaters and the general public to refrain from venturing onto the Rideau Canal Skateway for personal safety reasons. They are also asked to respect barricades and signs installed at access points.
As soon as weather permits, crews will resume maintenance to reopen the Skateway as quickly as possible.
The skating season was launched on January 8. To date, hundreds of thousands of people enjoyed 40 consecutive skating days with near ideal skating conditions on most of the Skateway.
For more information about the Rideau Canal Skateway, please contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/skateway. Throughout the season, recorded information about skating conditions can be obtained by calling 613-239-5234.
Is festival facing its Waterlude?
“We’ve been planning Winterlude for 33 years and Canadian winters are unpredictable, so we’re not going to speculate on what the weather holds for the rest of the week, because it could change,” said National Capital Commission spokeperson Denise LeBlanc.
No matter how unco-operative the weather, she said, indoor activities like Cool Science Saturday at the Science and Technology Museum and performances of the Snow Queen at the Museum of Civilization will go ahead.
“We’re looking forward to providing a really fantastic Winterlude weekend and we’re going to work as hard as we can to have as many activities on and open and enjoyable as possible,” LeBlanc said.
Is festival facing its Waterlude?
WINTERLUDE PROMISES A SECOND WEEKEND OF EXCITING ACTIVITIES
Line-up includes: Yukon Celebrations, Giant Human Foosball, Great Canadian Beaver Cup Pond Hockey Championship a Sub-Zero DJ Series, and Roxy Paine at the National Gallery of Canada
The National Capital Commission (NCC) wishes to remind residents and visitors that the second weekend of the 33rd edition of Winterlude, Canada’s winter celebration, promises to be an exciting one. Winterlude continues in the Capital Region until February 21, 2011.
Here is a sampling of some of the activities taking place during the second weekend of Winterlude:
NCC WILL OPEN ANOTHER SECTION OF THE RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY TOMORROW
The National Capital Commission (NCC) announces that as of tomorrow, January 13 at 8 am, 5.8 kilometres of the Rideau Canal Skateway, between the Pretoria Bridge and Dows Lake, will be open. Skaters will be able to access the Skateway by using all the entrances along the opened section.
On January 8, 2011, the NCC opened 2.4 kilometres of ice between Pretoria Bridge and Bank Street Bridge.
The NCC is working to open the remaining sections of the world’s largest skating rink as soon as ice conditions are safe and weather permits. Pedestrians and skaters are asked not to venture onto the closed section of the Skateway where ice is considered unsafe.
Managed by the NCC, the 7.8-kilometre Rideau Canal Skateway receives, on average, one million visits each year. The world-famous ice surface becomes one of the official sites for Canada’s winter celebration, Winterlude, which will take place from February 4th to 21st, 2011.
For more information about the Rideau Canal Skateway, please contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/skateway. Throughout the season, recorded information about skating conditions can be obtained by calling 613-239-5234.
40th Skating Season on the World’s Largest Skating Rink Comes to an End
Canada’s Capital Region — The National Capital Commission (NCC) regrets to advise the public that the Rideau Canal Skateway is officially closed for the season. Heavy snowfall, rain and above seasonal temperatures over the last three days have weakened the ice to the point that it is unrealistic to expect the skating season to resume.
The 40th skating season on the world’s largest skating rink was launched on January 14 and lasted 41 days. Over that period, hundreds of thousands of people enjoyed 36 days of skating, including a beautiful stretch of 24 consecutive days with near ideal skating conditions on most of the Skateway.
UNSAFE ICE CONDITIONS — Recent weather conditions have weakened the ice to the point that the ice surface of the Skateway has become unsafe and unpredictable. The NCC urges skaters and pedestrians to keep personal safety in mind and remain off the Skateway. The NCC also asks that the public respects barricades and signs installed at access points.
Managed by the NCC since the 1970-1971 season, the 7.8-kilometre Rideau Canal Skateway holds the Guinness World Records™ for the “World’s Largest Naturally Frozen Ice Rink”. The world-famous ice surface is equal to more than 90 Olympic sized rinks or 165 621 m2, and is one of the official sites for Canada’s winter celebration, Winterlude.
For more information on activities offered in Canada’s Capital, please contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867, or visit the NCC’s website at www.canadascapital.gc.ca. TTY available at 613-239-5090 or toll-free at 1-866-661-3530.
The NCC would like to thank its official partner American Express® and its official sponsors Sun Life Financial and West Jet for their contribution to this year’s 40th season of skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway.
Media Information:
Jean Wolff
NCC Media Relations
613-239-5703 (office)
613-797-0279 (cellular)
jean.wolff@ncc-ccn.ca
Jasmine Leduc
NCC Media Relations
613-239-5410 (office)
613-608-3119 (cellular)
jasmine.leduc@ncc-ccn.ca
SAFETY ADVISORY – TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY
NCCN-10-02-17-SA
February 23, 2010
SAFETY ADVISORY
TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY
Canada’s Capital Region – The National Capital Commission (NCC) wishes to advise the public that the Rideau Canal Skateway will be temporarily closed as of this evening, Tuesday, February 23, at 11:00 p.m., because of the weather and its negative impact on the ice.
The Rideau Canal Skateway will remain closed until further notice.
The NCC urges skaters and the general public to refrain from venturing onto the Rideau Canal Skateway for personal safety reasons. They are also asked to respect barricades and signs installed at access points.
As soon as weather permits, crews will resume maintenance to reopen the Skateway as quickly as possible.
For more information on Rideau Canal Skateway ice conditions, the public can call 613-239-5234 (24-hour recording) or visit www.canadascapital.gc.ca/skateway.
The public may also contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit www.canadascapital.gc.ca.
Media Information:
Jean Wolff
NCC Media Relations
613-239-5703 (office)
613-797-0279 (cellular)
jean.wolff@ncc-ccn.ca
