Brisk temperatures this winter have allowed the Rideau Canal Skateway to fully open, but other outdoor skating rinks in eastern Ontario are benefiting too.
In Portland, Ont., a small village on the shore of Big Rideau Lake about 115 kilometres west of Ottawa, the annual Skate The Lake event is back in full swing this year.
Due to mild winters for consecutive years, the event was on hiatus.
“We couldn’t get on the ice,” says Ken Maxwell, who has been a Skate The Lake volunteer for 18 years.
He says the ice on Big Rideau Lake is about 19 inches thick - perfect for skating.
“With this cold weather, it’s been getting deeper. And it’s good ice. It’s really good ice,” said Maxwell.
Volunteers like Maxwell help groom and maintain an oval on the lake that stretches about one kilometre.
To participate in the event, skaters simply need to track how many laps of the oval they can complete, and then log their results online. A leaderboard gets updated on the event’s Facebook page every Monday.
Maintaining the trail takes hours of hard work and dedication and Skate The Lake only has a handful of volunteers.
Aaron Badour is a new volunteer this season - he’s in charge of clearing snow off the ice.
“Well, I retired as of January 1st, and was looking for something to do,” he told CTV News Ottawa.
Most days, Badour is out working for four-five hours.
“I appreciate it when I’m doing it and I’m done, and I look out and there’s people skating out there. That’s what makes it good for me,” he said.
Steven Warren and Heather Young were just out for a Sunday skate, instead of tracking their laps.
“We usually would try to go into Ottawa to the Canal,” Young said. “But we’ve been kind of busy, and this is beautiful and close to home.”
On the other hand, Leila Stafford and her son Henry have been tracking their laps every day.
“Every year the rink is open, we’re out on it,” Stafford said.
They moved to Portland a few years ago, and having this massive skating rink so close to home is something they don’t take for granted.
“It’s incredible having this in our backyard. It’s great to be able to get the kids off the school bus and come out here and meet our friends,” she explained.
