CELEBRATING THE RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY’S 40TH SEASON WITH URBAN ART

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) celebrated the 40th skating season of the Rideau Canal Skateway today with the launch of Urban Art at Dows Gallery.

“We have come a long way since Douglas Fullerton, then Chairman of the NCC, sent a crew to the frozen Rideau Canal with hand shovels to clear the 5-kilometre ice surface in 1971,” said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the NCC. “Today’s Rideau Canal Skateway is a Canadian icon and it is fitting that we celebrate its 40th season with the talent and creativity of our young people.”

As part of the NCC’s youth initiatives, young local artists were invited to create works of art to celebrate the 40th skating season on the world’s largest skating rink using the medium of graffiti art. Through this medium, young artists share their personal representation and vision of the Rideau Canal Skateway. These works of art will be exhibited at Dows Gallery (Dows Lake) for the duration of the skating season.

The NCC officially opened the skating season of the Rideau Canal Skateway on January 14, 2010. Recognized by the Guinness World Records™ in 2005 as the world’s largest skating rink, the Rideau Canal Skateway receives, on average, one million visits each year. The world-famous ice surface becomes one of the official sites for Canada’s winter celebration, Winterlude, which will take place from February 5 to 21, 2010.

For more information about the Rideau Canal Skateway, contact the NCC at 613-239-5000, 1-800-465-1867 or visit www.canadascapital.gc.ca/skateway.
Throughout the season, recorded information about skating conditions can be obtained by calling 613-239-5234 (24 hour recording). TTY (text telephone for the hearing impaired) is available at 613-239-5090 or toll-free at 1-866-661-3530.

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