LINEUP OF EVENTS UNVEILED - 32nd WINTERLUDE AND 40th SKATING SEASON

This is an archived article about a previous Winterlude event. For up-to-date information about this year's events & activities, please visit our Ottawa Winterlude Guide.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) today unveiled the exciting lineup of events to be presented during the 32nd edition of Winterlude, Canada’s winter celebration, and the 40th season of skating on the Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s largest skating rink.

Winterlude will be held over three fun-filled weekends, from February 5 to 21, 2010, when Canada’s Capital Region will become the ideal destination to discover more about Canadian winter traditions.

This year, Winterlude will be launched at the American Express® Winterlude Opening, taking place at the Canadian Museum of Civilization on February 5th at 7 pm. A range of events and activities invite visitors to celebrate the Canadian winter, through a unique multi-sensory experience, featuring a fusion of art and the winter elements, including steam, water, ice, air, fire and light. The program will feature a spectacular musical fireworks display and outdoor dancing to the spellbinding rhythms of world-class Canadian DJ Misstress Barbara. Visitors can watch the musical fireworks display from the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Sunlife Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park and from Major’s Hill Park in Ottawa, which will be the scene of aerial acrobatic demonstrations on skis and snowboards by members of the Flying Canucks.

“The 40th season of skating on the Rideau Canal and 32nd edition of Winterlude attest to the NCC’s efforts to provide memorable events where Canadians can experience the best of our Canadian winter,” said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the NCC. “We are also very happy about our new partnership with the Canadian Museum of Civilization for the official launch of Winterlude. This collaboration confirms the NCC’s desire to further engage our federal partners in presenting events that reflect both Canada’s Capital Region and the country as a whole.”

Ms. Lemay was accompanied by Georges Bédard, Deputy Mayor of the City of Ottawa, Joseph De Sylva, Deputy Mayor of the Ville de Gatineau; Jean-Marc Blais, Vice-President, Exhibitions and Programs of the Canadian Museum of Civilization; and Patrick Dussault, Director of Government Services for American Express, at a news conference held today in Confederation Park in Ottawa.

“American Express is truly delighted to be the official partner of Winterlude and the Rideau Canal Skateway for the fifth consecutive year,” said Patrick Dussault, Director of Government Services for American Express. “We are proud to participate in this great celebration of Canadian winter, and pleased to be able to bring these exciting events to American Express® cardholders, our employees in Canada’s Capital Region and to all Canadians.”

Canada will be hosting the Winter Olympics in a few weeks. Across the country, Olympic fever is catching on. During Winterlude 2010, the NCC will highlight this unique event on its official sites.

As part of its environmental strategy adopted in 2009, the NCC is calculating the carbon footprint of all operations at its official sites during Winterlude 2010. The results will be used to develop concrete measures to make the event carbon neutral by 2012.

Winterlude activities will take place at three official sites: on the world’s largest skating rink, the Rideau Canal Skateway — which is celebrating its 40th season of skating — at Rogers Crystal Garden in Confederation Park in Ottawa; and at Sun Life Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau. Other sites, such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Major’s Hill Park, are also hosting special events.

Rideau Canal Skateway

Recognized by Guinness World RecordsTM as the world’s largest skating rink, the Rideau Canal Skateway will be the site of many Winterlude activities during its 40th skating season.

Subway Learn to Skate lessons
American Express Lounge: Savour creative dishes presented by culinary students
Portraits on the Ice: Celebrating Canada’s winter sports heritage
Aboriginal Traditions: Traditional singing and dancing
27th Annual Winterlude Triathlon, 30th Annual Bedzzz Race, 2nd Annual Great Canadian Beaver Cup Pond Hockey Championship

As part of the NCC’s youth programming, young local artists have been invited to create works of urban art to mark the 40th season of skating on the Rideau Canal. Their graffiti art will be exhibited at the Dows Gallery on Dows Lake for the entire 2010 skating season.
Sun Life Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park

A key partnership between the NCC and the Ville de Gatineau creates the biggest snow playground on the continent at Jacques-Cartier Park.

The site of gigantic snow slides and a huge snow maze based on the Olympic Games, Sun Life Snowflake Kingdom celebrates “Winter Fun.” Exciting activities inspired by our winter and Northern traditions await thousands of visitors: a ski and snowboard trampoline show; a participatory games zone; Canadian Forces activities; urban knitting; Place Gatineau; ice fishing; dogsled rides; movies under the stars, projected on snow — and much more.

During the second weekend, visitors can admire magnificent snow sculptures created during the National Snow Sculpture Competition. Teams of sculptors representing Canada’s provinces and territories will transform giant blocks of snow into works of art, inspired by the theme “Winter Fun.”
Rogers Crystal Garden in Confederation Park

Rogers Crystal Garden, in Confederation Park, is the place to be for those who enjoy ice sculptures. During Winterlude, as many as 45 talented ice carvers from around the world will carve more than 1,700 blocks of ice, each weighing 140 kilograms (300 pounds).

During the first weekend of activities, professional ice carvers will come from around the world to participate in the 23rd Rogers International Ice-Carving Competition, which will feature the theme of “Myths and Legends.”

NEW! People’s Choice Online Voting Contest: Canadians across the country can visit the Winterlude website to view photos of the ice-carving masterpieces created for the 23rd Rogers International Ice-Carving Competition, and then vote for their favourite sculpture for a chance to WIN a round-trip flight for two to any scheduled WestJet destination in Canada. Contest details are available at Winterlude.gc.ca.

The NCC will again host a number of activities, workshops and demonstrations at Confederation Park: H2Orchestra, featuring the hydraulophone, the world’s first and only water-based musical instrument; Glacialis, performing original music on instruments made of ice; First Nations interpretation and dance; the Chinese lion dance; urban art and its eco-footprint — and much more.
In the evening, visitors can admire the glittering ice sculptures at Rogers Crystal Lounge, enjoy a hands-on experience with sculptures and carvings they can touch, and dance to the exciting rhythms of the best DJs in the region.

For more information about Winterlude and the Rideau Canal Skateway, members of the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY), 1-800-465-1867 (toll-free) or 1-866-661-3530 (toll-free TTY), or visit the website at Winterlude.gc.ca. For information about access to Winterlude’s sites and the Rideau Canal Skateway for people with limited mobility, members of the public are invited to contact the NCC.

The NCC is proud to present Winterlude and the Rideau Canal Skateway, with the support of the following sponsors and partners: American Express®, Ville de Gatineau, City of Ottawa, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canadian Forces, Veterans Affairs Canada, Parks Canada, the Government of Canada, the Regional Council on the Environment and Sustainable Development of the Outaouais, WestJet, Rogers, Sun Life, and others.

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