National Capital Commission considering artificial freezing for Rideau Canal
OTTAWA — The National Capital Commission is considering a plan to artificially freeze a portion of the Rideau Canal as it copes with the effects of climate change.
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is mulling over the possibility of artificially freezing a section of the Rideau Canal to address the impacts of climate change. Tobi Nussbaum, the NCC's chief operating officer, revealed to CBC News that the organization has a feasibility study outlining the use of refrigeration pipes to freeze a 900-metre stretch of the canal in downtown Ottawa.
Nussbaum noted that such a plan could potentially triple the number of days the canal is available for skating, although the implementation would not occur until after 2030. In recent years, the reliability of public access to the canal during the winter season has been inconsistent due to several unusually warm winters in Ottawa.
The canal had only opened for ten days in 2024, and not at all in 2023. The Weather Network predicts that this winter could be warmer than average, which might further hinder the availability of ice on the canal. This report by The Canadian Press was initially published on November 13, 2026.
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