Skating on the World's Largest Natural Ice Rink

In 2005 the Rideau Canal Skateway was added to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest naturally frozen ice rink in the world.

The Skateway runs for a distance of 7.8 kilometres (4.8mi) from Carleton University at Hartnell Locks through Dow’s Lake to the National Arts Centre at the Ottawa Locks. The Rideau Canal rink started in 1971 the year I moved to Ottawa to attend college. My friends and I spent many a Friday and Saturday night skating, drinking wine and having wonderful times gliding over the frozen water. Nothing can compare to long distance ice skating at maximum speed.

The Rideau Canal is a World Heritage Site and runs from Ottawa to Kingston. It was originally built to defend against an American attack on Upper Canada, which was at the time a British colony. Using the Ottawa River the canal connected Montreal to Lake Ontario, providing safe passage of goods and people to the west.

This year in Ottawa it was plus 15°C on Christmas Day which is about 20 to 25°C above normal. Skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway may soon be only a memory.

USA-Canada / Canada-Ontario

Lat: 45° 25' 26" N
Long: 76° 42' 35" W

Elevation: 64 m

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Medium. Nearby, but not to the last decimal.

D90, 10.5 mm