Ottawa Skating Guide

Our city is a great place to skate, with dozens of indoor rinks and arenas, and countless volunteers who maintain community rinks in parks and backyards. And, of course, there's the Rideau Canal, the world's longest skating rink.

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Skating on the Rideau Canal

In the winter, the Ottawa portion of the Rideau Canal turns into the world's longest skating rink (7.8km long), and is the focal point of Winterlude.
The National Capital Commission maintains the skateway, and it's usually open from late-December/early January until late February/early March.
Here's a link showing daily ice conditions on the Rideau Canal.
For more info about skating on the Rideau Canal, you can visit: Rideau Canal Skateway or call 613- 239-5234

Outdoor rinks

This is the first full season for the Rink of Dreams at City Hall. It's an oudoor ice surface with artificial refrigeration. To put it another way, this rink has great ice even when it's a bit warm outside. Weather permitting the rink is open every day, from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m., including holidays, until the end of the skating season in March 2013. A heated change hut at Marion Dewar Plaza is open every day from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Another great/interesting/unique place to skate outdoors is at the Rideau Hall Outdoor Skating Rink. This historic ice surface dates back to the 1870s. The rink is open from January to March, with public skating on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 5pm. More info about Rideau Hall's skating rink...
Ottawa has 247 outdoor neighbourhood rinks, ranging from "puddles" (small ice surfaces without boards) to full "rinks" (full boards around the rink). A complete list of rinks, along with amenities and schedules, is available here.
Here's a list of all the outdoor rinks in Ottawa.
...and Ottawa Rink Conditions is a user-driven site that relies on visitors to provide updates on outdoor rink conditions. You can post updates on your local rink or check out what other people are saying.
There are many more outdoor rinks in Gatineau, too. Here's a list from the Ville de Gatineau.

Indoor rinks

For a listing of local rinks, plus schedules for public skating and information about lessons, check out the City of Ottawa's Skating page, including a search tool for checking public skating schedules.
A few other indoor rinks not directly run by the City of Ottawa include: Bell Sensplex, RA Centre, Carleton University Ice House, University of Ottawa Sports Complex and Scotiabank Place.
There are many more arenas in Gatineau, too. Here's a list from the Ville de Gatineau.
Related: Ottawa Hockey Guide

Skating Clubs

Skate Rentals & Sales & Sharpening

During Winterlude you can usually rent skates and get the sharpened on the Rideau Canal.
Figure 8 Skate Specialists
Fosters Sports
Kunstadt Sports
Play It Again Sports
Valiquette's

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