Sunday, February 15, 2026

Canal

 Winterlude is the annual celebration of the best season of them all here in Ottawa and Gatineau, and it is very much centered around the Rideau Canal Skateway. 7.8 kilometers of ice are groomed for skaters between the Ottawa Locks and the Hartwell Locks. I do not skate, but I like walking on the ice. I make a point of photographing some of those walks for my Winterlude series, such as a day early in the month when I arrived onto the ice at the Bank Street Bridge, which links the Glebe on the north to Old Ottawa South on the south. Part of the bridge is undergoing some rehabilitation at present.


I started west, seeing the Moon poking through clouds in the pre-dawn light.


Not many skaters this time of day, but I seem to prefer to photograph when the skateway is quiet.


One look back at where I'd arrived- at Lansdowne Park, seen by the condo tower and South Stands at left. And then I proceeded on.

26 comments:

  1. I love the water, skating ⛸️ rink and sky in this series. I also like seeing the lights.

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  2. A skateway of 7.8-kilometer length ... we can only dream of it for years.

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  3. ...William, you hardy Ottawa folks sure celebrate winter!

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  4. Beautiful captured, giving ud the feel of being there!

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  5. Lots of people in the water in Stockholm while walking on the frozen Lake Mälaren. The ferries stil go so there's is open water to deal with But I have seen a few ice skating videos and they looked wonderful.

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  6. Awesome photos of an awesome canal ~ thanks, ^_^

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  7. One of the things I wanted to do was skate on the Rideau It hasn't happened and never will now. One day you should put a map of Ottawa on

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  8. Your Rideau Canal photos are a highlight of winter! Thank you
    May

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  9. it has been a good year for it, William.

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  10. It must be fun to skate along these canals with all that smooth ice. Lovely reflections on the ice.

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  11. Skating on that ice must be a great experience!

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  12. If I tried to ice skate in that area I would probably fall down, I use to be ok at ice skating but not so much these days.

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