Sunday, February 7, 2016

Skaters On The Rideau Canal

Skating finally opened on the Rideau Canal for the season on January 23rd, with a section between the Bank Street Bridge and the Corktown Bridge opened at first. It has been erratic ever since. These are views taken on that day from the Bank Street Bridge looking east and west, around five in the afternoon. The sun was down, but there was enough ambient light left behind. The full moon is that light above the eastern horizon in the first two shots. Tomorrow I start up my Winterlude series.

40 comments:

  1. The Rideau Canal World Heritage Site.
    Very nice shots !

    Tomás.

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  2. A huge magnificent ice skating rink. So long and wide. It is wonderful when there is a river which freezes for everyone's enjoyment.

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  3. I've been looking forward to your Winterlude series William, super way to begin here, looks so much fun!
    P.s. it's going to be 42C here tomorrow!

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  4. Makes me longing to cold winters when we can skate on the open waters here too. It is a warm winter now without ice.

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  5. wow, that is fun looking. great exercise for folks. ( :

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  6. Love this!
    I started ice skating this year... and I so want to go here!

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  7. @Tomas: UNESCO made a good choice giving it the designation.

    @Orvokki: it is quite popular!

    @Grace: here it is supposed to get no higher than -5C.

    @Marianne: there are Dutch people who come over just to skate.

    @Beth: it is good exercise.

    @Hilary: it is an annual thing!

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  8. Glad it's cold enough for at least a little skating on the canal!

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  9. As you know, I always love to see skaters. It took some time, but it's great that skating is possible now on the Rideau Canal.

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  10. Very neat -- although growing up in Michigan I was always taught not to walk on iced over rivers. I suppose a canal is different…with the water below more stable?

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  11. It's too bad that with climate change we get very little time to skate on the Rideau. I heard it was closed last week.

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  12. A fun place for ice skaters, William !
    I wonder how many km they can skate here...

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  13. What a great place to skate. I like that you could really stretch out and go. Well, you could. I'd probably have to sit down and rest after a few yards!

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  14. The first two photos with the moon are beautiful!

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  15. @Gnome: it took long enough. And we had a warm spell last week that shut things down again. Now it's cold again... hopefully the Canal can be opened up again tomorrow and stay that way for awhile.

    @Jan: this year has been a difficult one. This is what we get for a mild December.

    @SRQ: yes, because the Canal's waterflow is controlled, it's safe, as long as the ice is thick enough. With a river, you can never discount currents beneath the ice doing damage to the thickness of the ice.

    @VP: thanks!

    @Red: it was. I was on it Sunday a week ago, and I think the next day they closed it down because of the warm spell. It's been colder the last couple of days, but the crews need to flood the ice surface to get things in shape.

    @Karl: nearly eight kilometres when the skateway surface is fully open.

    @Lowell: actually I can't skate!

    @Sharon: thanks!

    @Jackie: thank you.

    @Marleen: thanks!

    @Ciel: it hasn't been thus far. Hopefully the cold we've got now stays in place for a month and makes up for it.

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  16. Love the moon shots. I would not trust the ice, yet...

    Janis
    GDP

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  17. That canal is a great skating venue. So much space to enjoy. And love the flecks of light in the first two photos.

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  18. How wonderful to be able to see people skating on the river. Your photos are great, as is your header.

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  19. Your photos almost make me want to head over to one of our outdoor skate rinks. Love the atmosphere of the first two photos the best. Have a great week!

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  20. I remember skating on the canals when I. lived in The Netherlands.

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  21. @Janis: well, snow plows can get on this ice when it's open for skaters, so that's trustworthy.

    @Gemma: thank you!

    @Denise: thanks!

    @Anita: thank you!

    @Janey: a lot of Dutch people love that, when they get the chance.

    @RedPat: yes, quite late. I've seen years when it was ready before New Years.

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  22. hope you get some good solid freezes to keep it going!

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  23. I really like this first two pictures William, very moody..

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  24. Good pictures, but far too cold for me.

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  25. Hmm, there's something familiar about that place.

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  26. It looks like winter has really gotten underway in Ottawa!

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  27. It looks so good. I'd love to go down, but lack the motivation!

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  28. Spectacular views, lots of people enjoying the winter!

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  29. Not a good year for skaters, I fear!

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  30. Difficult shots to try and get in the fading daylight, but I always look forward to yiur posting of this event.

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  31. Beautiful takes William. Oh how I and my hubby used to skate at a little pond called . Little Switzerland. I am sure I am repeating myself but now after 40 odd years it has closed.
    Have no volunteers and the maintenance is costly they say.

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  32. A beautiful scene, that is for sure. Very nice photos William.

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  33. Even though I prefer not to be cold, if I lived up there I would find my way to the canal to skate and watch the skaters.

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  34. @Tex: that year was not the best of years for the ice.

    @Geoff: I thought so!

    @Mari: cold is a good thing!

    @Linda: I photograph it so often, especially from that bridge.

    @Kay: this year it got started quite early.

    @Jennifer: lots of skaters do come.

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  35. @Bill: the Canal is quite a draw this time of year.

    @EG: this year has been better.

    @Beatrice: I've been taking plenty of shots of this year's edition, with more to come.

    @Carolann: that happens.

    @Pat: thank you.

    @Jack: I can't skate, but I do like to photograph skaters.

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