NCC opens more of Rideau Canal Skateway Tuesday afternoon

Canal reopens for final day of Winterlude Thousands of skaters visited the Rideau Canal Skateway for the final day of Winterlude. CTV's Sam Houpt reports.

A longer stretch of the Rideau Canal Skateway is now open for skating.

The National Capital Commission announced Tuesday afternoon that a section from Pretoria to Waverley opened at 2 p.m. According to the Skateway's website, the ice was swept and flooded last night, but the NCC warns the ice is soft and uneven with rough patches.

The full 7.8-kilometre length of the Rideau Canal Skateway has yet to open this year. So far in 2024, there have been just seven skating days — four in January and three so far in February.

It's unclear how long the Skateway will be able to remain open this week. The weather forecast for Ottawa calls for highs of 5 C Wednesday and Thursday and a high of 4 C on Friday, with a chance of flurries or showers on Thursday and Friday. Low temperatures later this week are also above freezing.

Skate rentals remain unavailable, the NCC says. Skaters are also advised to be mindful of the ice underneath the Pretoria Bridge and Highway 417.