"The Rideau Canal Skateway"

The Rideau Canal in our nation's capital Ottawa is normally flowing with water in summer months. They drain it when the weather gets cold to produce the largest skating rink in the world. I often wondered if I would ever get a chance to skate it's surface. Well, last weekend I did just that. The frozen canal is about 7.8 km long and stretches from just beneath the Parliament Buildings to Dows Lake.

The Sunday of my departure I took a stroll down to the canal once again, having skated for about two hours the previous night with a nice dinner in a restaurant just off the canal bank afterwards. The Friday of Feb. 4th was the beginning of the Winterlude Festival with open air concerts, ice sculpturing and the beautiful canal skating with entertainment and events along its length. I'll post some ice sculptures in another post, they were amazing as were the four museums I got to visit while there. The War Museum was simply spectacular as was The Museum of Nature. The Museum of Civilization in Gatineau (Hull) Quebec was a wonderful experience with some beautiful displays like The Great Hall where Haidi Totem poles reach to the rafters. I can't help but feel they should be with the Haidi in BC if indeed they are real. I also visited The National Museum of Art and saw an amazing show with a theme called, "It Is What It Is". 

Some very interesting pieces were available for viewing in different media. Though I went to the city in the winter I can only imagine its beauty in the summer months as there are lots of green spaces and parks and open air markets.

The Rideau Canal the night of our skate.

Truly a beautiful sight is the canal and a wonderful time. I couldn't help imagining paddling down here in the spring and summer. Ahh Ha! That's an idea. Not sure if you would be permitted though. Would be fun going through the locks up by the Parliament Buildings for sure.