Rideau Canal Skateway to reopen Wednesday morning

People skate on the Rideau Canal Skateway during the final weekend of Winterlude, in Ottawa, on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

The National Capital Commission (NCC) says the full length of the Rideau Canal Skateway will reopen Wednesday after a brief closure.

The Skateway closed at 10 p.m. Monday in an attempt to preserve the ice surface during above average temperatures on Tuesday.

Ottawa saw a high of 3 C on Tuesday afternoon. The usual high temperature is around -3 C this time of year.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the NCC confirmed the entire Skateway will be ready for skaters again at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

“This short interruption helped preserve the surface, and our teams will take advantage of the cold overnight temperatures to prepare the ice to welcome the public again,” the NCC said.

“Rental services, change rooms, and food and beverage concessions will be open.”

The 56th skating season on the Rideau Canal Skateway began Dec. 31, 2025. There have been 41 skating days so far, with more than 785,000 visits, including more than 141,000 this past weekend, the NCC said.

Last year’s skating season ended on March 10, 2025, after 52 skating days.

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