Preparing The World's Longest Skating Rink

Ottawa is proud to have the world's longest outdoor skating rink, weather permitting! Weather permitting, the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake (a man-made lake that is part of the canal system) are transformed into a skating rink that attracts thousands of skaters every winter.

I sometimes come by once skating begins, but I rarely see the ice being prepared...

















But this year I did. As we were driving by Dow's Lake, city employees were busy drilling holes into the ice that had formed... and pumping up water from the lake to create a thick, smooth surface. (I always wondered how they did it!)

















I have never seen them flooding the ice before. I wonder if they start at Dow's Lake and continue until they have flooded all along the 7.8 kilometer (approximately 5-mile) canal! The ice is already strong enough to hold the workers, but skating isn't permitted until the ice is strong enough for trucks and equipment to drive on it!