The world’s largest skating rink is getting the cold shoulder in the upcoming edition of Ottawa’s winter festival. Here’s where you’ll find Winterlude activities — and where you won’t.
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The only other Canal mention is buried in the details of the Ottawa Winter Triathlon on Feb. 1, which features an eight-kilometre skate on the Canal, a five-kilometre run and a six-kilometre cross-country ski. But it comes with a caveat: “The exact course is up to Mother Nature and the route/distances/sports are subject to change,” organizers warn.
For Heritage Canada, de-emphasizing the Canal is part of a shift in messaging to present Winterlude as a sustainable event that doesn’t rely on the thickness of the ice. Lessons were learned in 2023, the first winter the Skateway did not open for skating in 50 years as inconsistent temperatures thwarted the ice conditions.
“We’ve really been trying to build Winterlude, so that it’s not dependent on the weather… we’ve moved all our program elements to other locations,” said Melanie Brault, director of Capital Celebrations at Canadian Heritage, the federal department that organizes Winterlude and Canada Day events in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
“I feel like the Canal will be complimentary to everything else we’re doing. It’s not that we’re not mentioning the Canal, it’s that we’re really showcasing what Winterlude has to offer this year at the official sites.”
Winterlude’s most popular outdoor destinations are expected to be the Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau, with its maze, super slides, obstacle course and zipline, and the Urban Sugar Shack, a new feature on Sparks Street that includes the perennially popular ice sculptures, along with art installations, performances and an AI-enabled Poetry Shack.
Activities are also planned for Lansdowne Park and Bank Street, the Canadian Museum of History, the National Arts Centre, Rideau Hall, the Diefenbunker and other locations across the region.
One new partnership will see a Winterlude edition of Igloofest, an outdoor, ticketed EDM festival founded in Montreal in 2007. Its first Gatineau installment takes place at Place des Festivals Zibi from Feb. 13 to 15 with a lineup that includes Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz and Seven Lions.
Another new partner event is the Centretown Cold Plunge, a fund-raising challenge that will see hardy souls raise pledges ahead of braving a dip in an icy bath. The chilly fun runs from Feb. 14 to 16 at Uncommon (formerly Snider Plaza), 140 Bank St., which will be transformed into a wintry oasis, with saunas, hot drinks, DJs and family-friendly activities for spectators. The money raised goes to Centretown 507 and the Centretown Community Health Centre.
Festival partnerships were also struck with the National Arts Centre’s family-friendly Big Bang festival on Feb. 15-16, the Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival at Arts Court Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, a one-day powwow at the Canadian Museum of History on Feb. 2 and the all-ages arts celebration, Fête Frisson 2025, at Shenkman Arts Centre on Feb. 9.
Brault says the partnerships are a growing part of Winterlude. “It’s really about making the whole National Capital Region into a Winterlude event,” she said. “It’s something we’re super excited about. It becomes a bigger draw for folks to visit our city.”
While recent attendance figures are not available, Brault hopes the 2025 Winterlude will regain the audiences it lost during the pandemic. Before the global health crisis, peak attendance was estimated at 600,000 over the three-week period. Last year attracted about 500,000, Brault said.
“We’re really hopeful with really good winter weather, we will be able to attract more people this year,” she added. “That’s the hope.”
What is Winterlude Ottawa?
Winterlude is an annual festival celebrating winter in Canada’s capital region. It features activities like ice-carving demonstrations, ice sculptures, skating, and snow slides taking place across sites in Ottawa and Gatineau.
How long does Winterlude last?
Winterlude 2025 runs for 18 days, from January 31 to February 17, 2025.
Is Winterlude Ottawa free?
Most Winterlude activities are free. Certain events require tickets, including:
- Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival (January 30 to February 1, 2025) with performances by artists like Caity Gyorgy and Ben Wendel. Tickets are required for entry.
- Igloofest Gatineau (February 13 to 15, 2025), at Place des Festivals Zibi. The outdoor electronic dance music festival includes performances by Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz, and Seven Lions. Admission is ticketed.
- Centretown Cold Plunge (February 14 to 16, 2025) is a fundraising challenge at Uncommon (formerly Snider Plaza) where participants take an icy dip. Participation requires fundraising, but spectators can enjoy free activities like hot drinks and DJs.