Ottawa Rideau CanalCanada, ice rink largest in the world and a World Heritage Site of Unesco, will not open this year for the first time in its history due to too mild a winter, its operators confirmed this Friday.
“Despite all our efforts, time beat us for the first time in our history,” the channel management officials said on Twitter.
“We are unable to open the track for the season,” they added in a statement.
For this canal that crosses the heart of the Canadian capital to be passable, the thermometers must remain between -10 and -20 degrees Celsius for about two weeks.
Although in its beginnings in the 1970s it was accessible from the end of December, it now opens more frequently in the middle or even the end of January. In 2020, for example, you had to wait until January 28 to skate there.
However, the coldest temperatures recorded in Ottawa in the last 24 hours were not enough to reverse the trend.
In mid-February, tourists and Ottawa residents – who sometimes skate to work – expressed disappointment to AFP.
“I wish I could skate on it, but the best thing I can do right now is look at it,” said Lani Simmons, 46, of Bermuda.
With unusually high temperatures in December and January, sometimes just below zeroOttawa is expected to record its third warmest winter this year, according to officials.
The site managers have studied the effects of climate change in the channel for several years and they say to “get ready,” especially by trying to better understand ice formation.
The Rideau Canal runs along 7.8 kilometers from the Canadian capital, and visit its main monuments, such as the Parliament, the Senate and the University, among others. It attracts an average of around 22,000 visitors a day.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
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