It’s 2022 and the Great Canadian Kilt Skate is back in full force for community skating. This marks the eighth year in which the Scottish Society of Ottawa has helped organize kilt skates — not only in Ottawa but across Canada. After last year’s very successful “Home Edition” where skaters took to the ice in their own socially distanced bubbles, this year provided an opportunity at last to get together socially.
Read MoreThere have been many elements that have led to a particular community being named the Kilt Skate Capital. But since the pandemic began, one of the most important has been the number of photos and video submission to the SSO’s gallery. It doesn’t matter whether your community’s event has been cancelled due to COVID. It doesn’t even matter whether your community has had plans for a kilt skate at all. Send us your pictures and videos!
Read MoreAt just 31 days of skating, the 2020 season of the Rideau Canal Skateway has been among the shortest, but it’s been wonderful nonetheless. After returning from Dublin in early February, I managed to get out on the Skateway a total of 11 times. Now that I can look back on some wonderful times.
Read MoreAfter weeks of preparation, the Rideau Canal Skateway will open for it 49th season this morning at 8:00 a.m. The section from Bank Street……to Pretoria Bridge will be open. This section contains many favourite locations on the Skateway, including Fifth Avenue…Patterson Creek…And Pig Island. For up-to-date information on the Rideau Canal Skateway including ice conditions, including web cams, check the National Capital Commission website.
Read MoreSome friends in Ottawa think of this as the saddest time of year: the days in October when the Rideau Canal is drained in preparation for the skating season, still months away.
Read MoreThe weather has been subarctic across Canada, but for those waiting for the skating season, one of the benefits has been anticipating the opening of the world's largest skating rink: the Rideau Canal Skateway. For 7.8 kilometres it curves an arch through the centre of Ottawa -- from the Hartwell Locks at Carleton University to the canal's final descent to the Ottawa River in the heart of downtown.
Read MoreCanadians love their outdoor rinks -- the "ODR" as the teenagers call them. There's at least one in every neighbourhood, lovingly built and tended by community volunteers. Sometimes whole families get into the act -- going out on a cold, starlit night to clear the snow and flood the rink is part of growing up Canadian.
Read MoreThe rink is scheduled to open on December 7 -- in two weeks. On Friday it was announced that, rather than close at the end of the month with the Canada150 celebrations, the rink will remain open to the public into February.
Read MoreIf you believe winter comes to Canada on December 21, you haven't been paying attention! It hits different regions at different times. In Ottawa, we can expect a blast around Remembrance Day on November 11. This year, the skies were bright and clear, and so was the ice forming on the Rideau Canal.
Read MoreThe winter gods have a sense of humour. Last week, the temperatures were so warm, the Rideau Canal Skateway was covered with meltwater and had to be closed. This weekend, it opens once more, but the thermometer drops to minus-29 and, with the wind chill, minus-40.
Read MoreThe ice is a bit rough, but we expect that on the first day. Everyone on the Rideau Canal Skateway was just happy to have a 3.8 km portion of the world's longest skating rink open on a perfect winter afternoon -- sunny, minus 10 degrees, and no wind. Here's some pix.
Read MoreThe season is starting late. Two years ago, we were skating the canal on New Year's Eve. The latest was February 2, 2002. Just couple of weeks ago, the canal was buried in snow. The ice was too thin for maintenance, and the temperatures refused to drop low enough to hurry the freezing process along.
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across canada, communities host kilt skates to celebrate scotland’s contribution to our multicultural fabric.
