Canada’s renowned Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s largest natural ice skating rink, will not open this season for the first time due to a lack of ice, its operator said on Friday, blaming the closure on climate change.
The 7.8 km (4.9 mile) Rideau Canal Skateway, first opened over 50 years ago, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Canada’s capital city Ottawa that is a top attraction for skating enthusiasts seeking outdoor thrills during Canada’s usually biting cold winters.
The National Capital Commission (NCC), which maintains and operates the Skateway, said that although they have been assessing and preparing for the impacts of climate change, their efforts to open the rink this season have “come to an end.”
“This year taught us a great deal about the effects of milder winters on the Skateway,” the commission said in a statement on Friday.
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