Tag Archive for: Best places to skate in Canada

Embracing winter: Best places to skate in Canada, Part 4

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For the first time since 2001, it is now legal to skate on the pond in Toronto’s High Park. There are red flags, however – and we mean that literally. City workers test the ice daily. If it deemed unsafe, a red flag is planted. Officials say the ice is safe to skate on only five or ten days during a cold winter.

OK, so you can’t exactly get here by streetcar, but the Whiteway is right up there with Banff and Grouse Mountain when it comes to skating with a view. And it’s got some length – at 29.8 kilometres around the lake, Guinness recently declared the Whiteway is the longest naturally-frozen skating trail in the world. A path six metres wide is cleared for skaters, and if you’re in shape – or Clara Hughes – you can do the trek in a couple of hours.

Located in the Ontario Muskokas, this used to be cottage country’s best-kept skating secret. Not anymore. Thousands turn out annually to glide majestically through a 1.3 kilometre maze of trees and natural beauty that has been dubbed a “fairy-tale ice trail.

Embracing winter: Best places to skate in Canada, Part 3

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Listed in no particular order, here is the third of a four-part series on where to get your skate on. Be sure to check back each day through Friday, and don’t forget to share your memories with us the Skate Canada Facebook page:

If you think skating in downtown Toronto, Nathan Phillips Square is probably the first rink that comes to mind. We’re heading a little further south to the Natrel Rink at Toronto’s Harbourfront if you want you went a less-crowded, more scenic place to hit the ice. You’re right on the shores of Lake Ontario, giving you a postcard view of the breathtaking Toronto skyline. And plus, where else can you get your boogie on Saturday nights while skating?

Honourable mention: The Evergreen Brick Works, Nathan Phillips Square, Markham Civic Centre. And this place.

If you are wondering why Banff makes the list, we’re guessing you’ve never been there. There’s skating with a view, then there’s the rink at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, surrounded by ice sculptures, mountains and a whole lot of wonder. It takes breathtaking to another level. Even CNN Travel says so.

Honourable mention: Bow River, Fairmont Banff Springs, Jasper National Park

Probably on everyone’s short list of skating havens. And why not? You can step on to the ice right in the shadows of the Parliament Buildings, and away you go. And go. And go, for 7.8 kilometres right to Dows Lake. The unnaturally warm winter had shut down the Rideau – and with it, put a damper on the world-famous Winterlude – but once the temperature drops and the ground freezes, make sure this is on your bucket list. As unique a skating experience as you will find in the country.

Embracing winter: Best places to skate in Canada, Part 2

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We’re Canadian.

Skating is tightly woven into our social fabric and a part of who we are. Childhood reflections often include memories of that tentative first step onto a frozen lake or pond, and seeing your own breath in the morning chill of a stunning winter landscape.

It’s a love affair as unconditional as it is timeless.

In Canada, we own the ice and as Valentine’s Day approaches, we are celebrating our love of skating by unveiling the best locations across our beautiful country to go for a glide.

We want you to share your skating memories with us. It could be a public rink right in the heart of a booming metropolis, or a little strip of paradise tucked away deep in nature that no one outside of your family has ever seen. Share a few words and a photo on Skate Canada’s Facebook or Twitter pages, and tell us where you love to skate.

Listed in no particular order, here is the first of a four-part series on where to get your skate on. Be sure to check back each day through Friday, and don’t forget to share your memories with us:

Nestled on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River in downtown Saskatoon, the outdoor rink at Cameco Meewasin was voted best in Canada in 2007. The price is right. Not only is the skating free, but you can borrow a pair of skates at no charge. There is a warm-up area and cozy fire pit to ward off frostbite. Beware though, they shut the place down when the weather reaches minus-31 C. Hey, its Canada…that’s t-shirt weather.

Not a rink by definition, but Parc Lafontaine features splendid frozen paths winding through a postcard landscape. You’ll have to dish out a couple of bucks if you want rent skates or a locker, but the skating won’t cost you a dime. Looking for a game of shinny? Grab your stick and jump on one of the adjoining outdoor hockey rinks. After you burn off those calories, you can pack them right back on: Montreal’s best poutine is just a block away.

Honourable Mention: Beaver Lake, Bonsecours Basin

Winnipeg has a wide range of outdoor skating options, with close to 10 kilometres of skating on the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. It may take you a few days to thaw out when winter is at its most unforgiving, but The Forks – a must-see for those visiting Winnipeg any time of year – offers several rinks and skating trails to help shake the winter blahs.

Embracing winter: Best places to skate in Canada, Part I

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We’re Canadian.

Skating is tightly woven into our social fabric and a part of who we are. Childhood reflections often include memories of that tentative first step onto a frozen lake or pond, and seeing your own breath in the morning chill of a stunning winter landscape.

It’s a love affair as unconditional as it is timeless.

In Canada, we own the ice and as Valentine’s Day approaches, we are celebrating our love of skating by unveiling the best locations across our beautiful country to go for a glide.

We want you to share your skating memories with us. It could be a public rink right in the heart of a booming metropolis, or a little strip of paradise tucked away deep in nature that no one outside of your family has ever seen. Share a few words and a photo on Skate Canada’s Facebook page, and tell us where you love to skate.

Listed in no particular order, here is the first of a four-part series on where to get your skate on. Be sure to check back each day through Friday, and don’t forget to share your memories with us:

Emera Oval

Emera Oval – Photo courtesy of Novascotia.com

OK, so we may be a little biased having visited Halifax in January for the 2016 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, but the Emera Skating Oval is one of Halifax’s newest, and most popular, landmarks. Spanning the size of three NHL rinks, the Oval claims it is the “largest outdoor artificially refrigerated ice surface east of Quebec City.”

It takes an hour, and 1,700 litres of water, to resurface the ice. In busy times, the Oval can hold up to 1,500 skaters and we are betting they’re all really, really nice. You know, it’s a Maritime thing!

Want to score some serious brownie points with the significant other? Hitting the top of Grouse Mountain for a skate should keep you in the good books. Once you get off the tram at the top of the mountain, an 8,000 square-foot patch of winter bliss awaits. Nothing like a leisurely skate 4,000 feet above one of the world’s most picturesque cities.

Greater Vancouver Area Honourable Mention: Robson Square, Vancouver

Some really smart dude designed the Freezeway for his landscape architecture Masters thesis. If things go according to plan, the skating trail will eventually be lengthened to 3.5 kilometres, but a 400-metre pilot version opened just before Christmas. Designer Matt Gibbs was inspired by a former city councillor who once quipped the city should flood the streets so Edmontonians could skate to work.