Get ready for a cold week in Ottawa

It is good news for Winterlude, despite the canal no longer being branded as the festivals main attraction

Bring the parka out: The above-seasonal weather over the weekend played tricks on us because it’s getting way colder this week. 

Environment Canada says temperatures with the windchill can range between -30 and -37, according to CTV News. 

By the numbers: It’s been almost two years since temperatures in Ottawa dipped below -20 C. Last year, the coldest day was Dec. 22, when it was -19 C. 

  • “Extreme cold puts everyone at risk. Watch for cold-related symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes,” says Environment Canada. “Frostbite can develop within minutes on exposed skin, especially with wind chill.”

Impact on people experiencing homelessness: Shelters in Ottawa are gearing up for what they expect to be record demand. New city statistics estimate that approximately 300 people are living on the streets, with an estimated 70 percent seeking shelter indoors every night through the winter. 

The Ottawa Mission, which has been over capacity, said they won’t turn anyone away. It will shelter roughly 250 guests per night. 

  • “We don’t turn anyone away, and that has meant 60 to 70 people in the small waiting area sitting in plastic chairs or curled up on the floor,” Ottawa Mission CEO Petter Tilley told CTV. 

Tragedy: In January, Somerset Ward Coun. Ariel Troster confirmed an Ottawa man living on the streets was “found frozen to death.”

  • “If you see someone sleeping rough in this terrible cold, you can call 311 to help them access shelter. Please help us ensure this tragedy doesn’t happen again,” wrote Troster, according to the Ottawa Citizen. 

But the weather is good news for skaters: The entire 7.8-kilometre stretch of the Rideau Canal opened for skating at 8 a.m. on Saturday, but the ice conditions were fair to poor on its first full day due to temperatures reaching 2 C. The Lookout observed puddles at Dow’s Lake, but the ice surface hardened the closer to downtown you got. 

Winterlude is coming, but don’t expect the canal to be a main attraction 

Skaters on the Rideau Canal near Dow’s Lake. Photo by Charlie Senack.

After a few years of barely being open or staying closed for the entire season, Winterlude has undergone some rebranding — in fact, the canal isn’t even listed as one of its four main sites this year. 

The focus for 2025 is on Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau, Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa, the historic ByWard Market, and “elsewhere in the Ottawa-Gatineau” region. 

  • “We’ve really been trying to build Winterlude so that it’s not dependent on the weather… we’ve moved all our program elements to other locations,” said Melanie Brault, director of Capital Celebrations at Canadian Heritage, according to the Ottawa Citizen. “I feel like the Canal will be complimentary to everything else we’re doing. It’s not that we’re not mentioning the Canal, it’s that we’re really showcasing what Winterlude has to offer this year at the official sites.”

One activity will take place on the canal, though, weather permitting. That is the Ottawa Winter Triathlon on Feb. 1, which includes a five-kilometre run and six-kilometres of cross-country skiing.  

So what’s in store? Some of this year's main attractions include The Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival, the super slide at Snowflake Kingdom, horse-drawn carriage rides, Indigenous craft workshops, and more. 

  • Complete programming for Winterlude 2025 can be found here.