Climate change in Ottawa: Rideau Canal Skateway facing uncertain future [Video]

As warm weather continues to hamper the skating season on the iconic Rideau Canal Skateway, enthusiasts are concerned about its future viability.

With only seven days of skating this season due to adverse weather conditions, there are questions about whether the world’s largest skating rink might face permanent closure.

Lucille O’Connor took to the canal Tuesday morning for her first, and likely last, day of skating this season.

“The conditions are poor to fair, but I would say it’s pretty good if you skate along the edges,” she says. “I usually skate the whole canal, and I do really good conditions only, but this year, if I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t do it at all. We’re having more warm mix with the cold than I remember having.”

Despite the efforts of National Capital Commission (NCC) crews to prepare the canal, temperature, rain and heavy snowfall posed significant challenges. The …