As the proud steward of the Rideau Canal Skateway since 1971, the NCC has learned a thing or two about ice creation over the years.
The Rideau Canal Skateway is not your average backyard rink. It’s a massive sheet of ice, floating on a large flowing body of water that receives thousands of visits per day. To open the Skateway, we need high-quality ice that can support large volumes of visitors.
Despite milder winters, we’re not giving up on this longstanding and iconic tradition. In collaboration with Carleton University, we’re adapting our operations by using lighter equipment and experimenting with ways to make ice earlier in the season.
So how exactly do we create the world’s largest skating rink?
Preparation and patience
We start work on the Skateway well before the skating season.
In mid-October, Parks Canada drains the Rideau Canal by opening the valves at the Ottawa Locks near Parliament Hill. This allows us to install change rooms, washrooms, stairs and ramps, anchoring them on the exposed soil.
In mid-November, Parks Canada raises the water back up, and we wait for nature to work its magic.
How ice naturally forms
At 2°C, water starts to crystallize and rise to the surface, eventually forming an ice cap. While ice starts forming quickly, the process slows down as the ice thickens.
At –10°C, for example, ice can grow 5 cm thick in just a few hours. But under the same conditions, when it’s reached 20 cm, adding another 5 cm can take days. Building thick, high-quality ice that can safely support the Skateway’s large crowds takes time.
Ice formation
While we rely on nature to get that initial ice cover, we have some tricks up our sleeves to speed up the process. Early in the season, as soon as it’s safe to do so, we pump water from under the ice onto the surface to help it thicken faster.
While working on the Skateway, our crews wear special suits with flotation devices to ensure their safety. For your safety, steer clear of the ice until we officially open the Skateway.
We monitor our progress by regularly drilling ice samples (we call them ice carrots). The carrots show us the ice’s thickness and quality. We also use a sonar to understand where we can safely deploy heavier equipment. Since the Skateway is a floating sheet of ice on moving water, we also monitor the ice's vertical movement and distribute weight as needed.
Not all ice is created equal
Depending on the weather, different kinds of ice form on the Rideau Canal Skateway.
- White ice forms when snow absorbs water and freezes. It is typically not as strong as clear ice.
- Clear ice forms naturally when temperatures are cold enough for crystals to form below the frozen surface. It is much stronger than white ice.
Ice prepping
As soon as the ice can safely support heavier loads, we can bring out specialized equipment, including sweepers, blowers and resurfacers, to prepare the surface for skating. We continue flooding the ice for as long as needed.
Fun fact: For every 1 cm of snowfall, our crews move 125,000 kg of snow off the Skateway. That’s equivalent to 450 polar bears!
In recent years, we’ve been adapting our operations due to climate change. This includes using lighter equipment like RTVs and a mini-version of the now-famous Froster to get on the ice faster.
A word on the Froster
The Froster is a specialized ice-smoothing machine, built by the Skateway’s maintenance contractor. Its retractable wings span 60 feet—ideal for smoothing the expansive Skateway.
Made from lightweight aluminum, the Froster weighs about 6 tonnes when filled with water. We can only deploy it when the ice is thick enough to support its weight. On average, it takes the Froster around 5 hours to cover the entire 7.8 km of the Skateway.
24/7 maintenance
The skating season typically runs from early January to early March, although this is weather-dependent.
Once the Skateway is open, we maintain it around the clock. We remove snow and resurface the ice every night, weather permitting.
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Wishing for a cold and long winter!