hockey
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mushing
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relaxation
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accomodation
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survival
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odyssey
skating
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snowballs
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wine
SKATING
The cold war
THINK CANADA’S most bitter rivalry on ice is between the Habs and Leafs? Nope — it doesn’t measure up against the battle
over which rink is longer: Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Skateway or Winnipeg’s River Trail. After an Ottawa Citizen columnist
called the River Trail’s chief a “dweeb in a snowsuit” for considering a plan to extend the route along the Assiniboine River
longer than Ottawa’s rink, Winnipeg did just that, capturing the Guinness World Record. Here’s our breakdown of the
skate debate.
— Liana B. Baker
| |
RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY |
RIVER TRAIL |
| Length |
7.8 kilometres |
Guinness World Record holder for longest naturally frozen ice skating trail at 9.34 kilometres
in 2008-09 |
| Surface area |
Guinness World Record holder for largest maintained skating surface at 165,621 square metres |
Unknown, but the ice surface features one llama and two inuksuit |
| Seasons |
39 |
31 |
| Skating days in the winter of 2008-09 |
58 |
56 |
| Hockey? |
No — no sticks allowed |
Plenty of shinny, plus broomball, curling
and more |
| Notable skaters |
Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, figure skaters Elvis Stojko and Brian Orser |
A man in monkey suit, who handed out 400 bananas last season |
| Humble moments |
In its second season, all of the canal’s new shelters sank |
Last season, skaters could only use the Assiniboine River section because of earlier
Red River flooding |
| Greasy treats |
Beavertails |
Mini donuts |
| Origin |
On Jan. 18, 1971, National Capital
Commission Chairman Douglas Fullerton sent a crew to the frozen Rideau Canal with hand shovels to clear five kilometres of ice between the National Arts Centre and the
Bronson Ave. overpass |
The River Trail was born 1978 as an initiative of Riverborn Development; it was near the Osborne Street Bridge and less than one kilometre long until 1991 |
| Icy exchange |
“[The River Trail] is not a rink. It’s a horizontal icicle with delusions of grandeur. The
escalator at The Bay is wider than this thing. And it’s too cold to skate” — Ottawa Citizen
columnist Bruce Ward |
The canal is a “puddle-jumping rink” that’s “hardly there half the time because of the
humid weather” — Winnipeg North MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis, interviewed on CBC |
top
SNOWBALLS
All’s fair in love and guerre
ZIP UP that cheesy snowsuit from the 1980s — it’s time to step into the world of the classic Quebecois film La guerre
des tuques.
At the Duchesnay resort, half an hour west of Québec, you can join the mother of all snowball fights, one based on a 1984
movie about children in small-town Quebec. “People are really reliving their childhoods again — some have seen the
film at least 20 times,” says Alain Morissette, an activity leader at Duchesnay, which is better known as the home of the Ice Hotel.
The retro snowball war, which is more for adults than kids, features a complex series of manoeuvres, two huge forts
and lasts longer than two hours. It begins with each team heading into the forest on snowshoes to search for clues and culminates in
a refereed battle complete with makeshift ambulances. “People get kind of crazy,” Morissette says, “in a good way.”
Between 15 and 60 people can spar at once, and the La guerre re-enactment is used by some Québec companies for teambuilding.
Offered during the Christmas holiday and March break, it also attracts snow soldiers from the United States and
beyond, some of whom leave with a new favourite film.
For more information, please go to www.sepaq.com/ct/duc/en/.
— Liana B. Baker
WINE
Cold gold
ONTARIO’S TOP ICEWINES:
Inniskillin Riesling Icewine
Cave Spring Riesling Icewine
Chateau des Charmes Vidal Icewine
Flat Rock Cellars Vidal Icewine
Mike Weir Vidal Icewine
Konzelmann Estate Riesling Icewine
Pillitteri Estates Vidal Icewine
Henry of Pelham Riesling Icewine
Coyote’s Run Estate Riesling Icewine
Dan Akroyd Vidal Icewine
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AN UPSCALE GALA featuring live jazz and wine tastings overlooking Niagara Falls are just a couple of the treats in
store for people who attend this year’s Niagara Icewine Festival, from January 15 to 24. Visitors can partake in dozens of
events, including gourmet dinners and winery visits, to celebrate the luscious golden elixir that put Canada on the world
wine map.
With the festival’s Discovery Pass, one can visit more than 25 area wineries, which will all be offering different programs.
Taste icewines paired with decadent desserts at one, and at the next, try dry table wines paired with cuisine from local
restaurants and artisan food purveyors. Wineries let visitors try picking grapes and teach groups about icewine production
and the various stages it goes through before being bottled. Although not part of the festival, the nearby town of Niagara-on-the-Lake
offers carriage rides during the festival’s two weekends.
For more information, go to www.niagarawinefestival.com
or www.niagaraonthelake.com.
— Natalie MacLean
