Have you skated at the Canada 150 Rink on Parliament Hill yet? It’s pretty much the quintessential Canadian experience and we got our turn to test it out this past weekend. It takes a little bit of effort – between booking a skating time slot online and then finding parking and schlepping your skating gear up to Parliament Hill, but I can confidently say it was all worth it.

In order to skate on this limited time ice rink you have too book your time slot 48 hours in advance. You can’t book earlier, the tickets only open up two days before the date you desire. There are available times throughout the day and each time slot runs for 40 mins. The passes are FREE and you can book your time here.

You can only book four passes at a time (although another family member could easily book more). Then, it is as simple as showing the pass on your phone, or printing out your pass, and taking to the ice.

There are skate rentals, helmet rentals and skate sharpening available just across the street from Parliament Hill. It costs $15 to rent skates. You are also allowed to bring skating aids and strollers onto the ice. Rowan probably could have used a skating aid, as I think my husband’s back almost gave out trying to keep her upright. It was actually her first time on skates, and now she can say the first time she ever went skating was on Parliament Hill!

My sister Lizzy was visiting from BC, and she took my place on the ice (given that I’m 37 weeks pregnant). Of course it happened to be of the coldest evenings so far this holiday season, with a windchill of -20 degrees – but we braved the frosty temperatures and promised the kids hot chocolate when it was all done.

I was able to watch from the sidelines and be the official photographer. If you skate in the evening, like we did, you can enjoy the light show projected onto Parliament Hill while you skate. It’s a spectacular atmosphere.

40 minutes was more than enough skating time for us with our little kids, but for others the time may seem to fly by. I recommend getting there early before your time slot, so you have ample time to get your skates on and get ready.

Despite all the action on Parliament Hill, it didn’t feel busy at all. With such a spectacular backdrop, this skating experience is the best place to get a truly memorable selfie! The Canada 150 rink will be open on Parliament Hill until February 25. Our family will definitely try and get back on the ice at least once more before it’s gone, and maybe we’ll try a day time skate next time. So don’t miss out on your chance to skate under the shadow of the Peace Tower and enjoy this oh-so Canadian experience!