I am so glad the Rideau Canal is finally open, and right in time for the start of Winterlude 2020. Skating on the canal is really special and has been one of my favourite things about Ottawa (is there anything more Canadian?). This week I got out for my first canal skate of 2020 and my eight month old daughter Ellie’s first time on the canal ever! It made me want to sit down and share with you all the upcoming Winterlude schedule and details.

This year Winterlude runs from January 31 to February 17.  For anyone who is new to Ottawa – it is a great celebration of winter that includes beautiful ice sculptures, skating on the world-famous Rideau Canal, and playing in the snow at the Snowflake Kingdom.

The Rideau Canal

Like I’ve said…the canal is one of my favourite things about living in Ottawa and this year the Rideau Canal is celebrating its 50^thanniversary. At the time of writing this blog post almost the entire 7.8 kilometre skating stretch is open to skaters, and hopefully by the start of Winterlude it will all be open. The canal is stroller friendly with ramps down to the ice in a number of spots. I actually love going with my stroller because it gives me a spot to store my boots and also provides me with a little balance help (I’m an okay skater, but not fabulous). There are also warming huts in various locations along the canal where you can change into your skates and store your boots (these are just open cubbies, not lockers).

If you need to rent skates or sleighs (great for pushing the kids around), you can rent them at 3 different locations: The National Arts Centre, Fifth Avenue and Dow’s Lake Pavilion. WARNING: on the weekends there can be big line-ups for skate rentals, so plan accordingly.

It’s always a good idea to check ice conditions before you go. You can find updated ice info HERE , as well as more info about where to find parking, rentals and warming huts.

I highly recommend taking a break out on the ice to enjoy a hot chocolate and a BeaverTail. You can find these rest areas at Dow’s Lake, Bronson Ave, Fifth and Rideau Street. Most of the vendors only take cash, so don’t forget to bring some along on your skate!

There are a few special events that take place on the Rideau Canal worth noting: The Winterlude Triathlon takes place on February 1. You can cheer on the brave athletes who skate, ski and run at Dows Lake. And be sure to check out the Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival which will take place on February 7-8. You can witness dragon boats outfitted with special blades racing down the frozen Rideau Canal Skateway at Dows Lake. Plus, enjoy free concerts inside the Dows Lake Pavilion.

The Snowflake Kingdom

The Snowflake Kingdom is my kids’ favourite thing about Winterlude (and I think it’s a lot of fun too). The Snowflake Kingdom is located at Jacques Cartier Park in downtown Gatineau – just across the Alexandra Bridge from downtown Ottawa. It is packed with fun, free activities, including tube sliding, skiing and snowboarding lessons, snow sculptures, kiddie zone for toddlers, indigenous performances and a zip line (this is a paid activity).

The Snowflake Kingdom is open Thursdays through Sundays during Winterlude (plus Family Day on Monday, February 17).

My kids especially love the tubing snow slides. It can get really busy and you may find yourself waiting in lines for a while. I recommend getting there right when the Snowflake Kingdom opens at 9 am to get some runs in before line ups get long. Also, on Fridays and Saturdays, the Snowflake Kingdom stays open until 9 pm and last year the kids and I stayed into the evening and we found by 7 pm there were no lines at all. So if your kids are a little older and don’t have to be in bed early, perhaps go a little later in the day.

I don’t recommend bringing a stroller to the Snowflake Kingdom…it’s a little difficult getting around in the snow but I do recommend bringing your own sled and dragging any little kids around that way.

Sparks Street

Sparks Street is a new Winterlude site and will be host to the ice carving competitions (replacing the Byward Market from last year…a good move I think). Sparks Street will host three ice carving competitions throughout the festival: the Winterlude International Ice Carving Challenge, the Winterlude Battle of America’s Ice Carving Challenge and the Canadian Ice Carvers Society Championship.

Sparks Street will also host the Winterlude kick off party, the Winter edition of Capital Pride (from Feb 4-9) and a bunch of live performances and interactive light structures.

The free OLG Sno-Bus provided by OC Transpo and the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) are a great way to get between official Winterlude sites on weekends and on a Family Day (Feb. 17).

Other Fun Events During Winterlude

There are a number of other awesome events going on in Ottawa during Winterlude and it is worth making note of these dates:

• Byward Market Stew Cook Off – January 31, 11:30 am – 2:00 pm, 62 York Street (For only $10 get all the stew you can eat from over 20 ByWard Market restaurants. Vote for your favourite in the People’s Choice Awards. )
• Complimentary Wagon Rides and Petting Zoo – William Square in the Byward Market, February 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 and 17th, noon – 4 pm. (Relax and explore the ByWard Market in a horse-drawn wagon, the petting zoo will be there on Family Day)
• Winterlude 2020 City of Ottawa Roller Skating – February 1 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Aberdeen Pavilion, Lansdowne.
• Rogers Hometown Hockey – February 7-9 at Marion Dewar Plaza, City Hall. (Join Sportsnet hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone for a live broadcast of an NHL game, fan experience with games, community hockey rink, live entertainment, kids zone and more)
• Fire and Ice Festival – February 8-9, Downtown Bank Street between Wellington and Catherine St (this family friendly event includes an ice rink on the street, musical performances, acrobatic shows, fire juggling, ice sculptures and more)
• RCMP Musical Ride Open House – February 8, RCMP Rockcliffe Stables, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm (free event where visitors can tour the stables and meet the horses and riders of the world famous Musical Ride. The event will also feature demonstrations from RCMP specialized units, family-friendly activities and displays of police equipment.)
• Accora Village Bed Race for Kiwanis – February 15, York Street and Dalhousie, racing takes place between 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm

Hope to see you all out at Winterlude 2020!