HomeThe Rideau Canal is an important heritage treasure. It is recognized as one of the chief engineering feats of the 19th century, and it is a National Historic Site owned and managed by Parks Canada. Today, thanks to the NCC’s efforts, the Rideau Canal is also an important expression of Canada’s winter culture.
In the 1970s, the Rideau Canal Skateway became one of the ways we made the Capital region come alive for people. In the winter of 1970–1971, it was cleared for the first time by men with shovels, but it was a runaway success. In 1979, Winterlude was conceived, and the Skateway became the principal site of the Capital region’s annual winter festival. Today, a fleet of vehicles clears a stretch of ice 7.8 kilometres long (from the National Arts Centre to Hartwell Locks) and over one million skaters turn out annually during the winter months. Cities all over the world seek the expertise in ice management that we have acquired in the past 30 years.
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