Winter closure for Eco-Odyssee Nature Park

Winter closure of Eco-Odyssee Nature Park: a major climate challenge

It is with regret that the Eco-Odyssee Nature Park team announces the closure of its ice skating trails for an indefinite period. This difficult decision is the result of increasingly complex climate conditions to manage.

Mild winters, with many temperature increases above zero, are now a decisive factor in the inability to offer certain winter activities.

The winter of 2024 was indeed the second warmest winter in Quebec in 105 years. In addition, this article from Météo Média (in French only) predicts a mild winter of 2024-2025, with a mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow. These forecasts are far from favourable for operating a skating rink on a body of water.

The impacts of climate change on natural ice

During the 2 years of winter operation, from 2021 to 2023, the Park team faced increasing challenges in maintaining the quality of its ice trails.

Specific operating conditions: Unlike skating rinks located on land, those based on water require an extended period of cold temperatures below zero to form sufficiently thick ice, approximately 25 cm. Unfortunately, milder winters, accompanied by snowfall and periods of rain, make these conditions very difficult to achieve.
Difficult winter conditions: At Eco-Odyssee Nature Park, extreme winter conditions seriously affected the quality of the ice, which deteriorated rapidly due to heat and successive bad weather. In addition, the park’s topography, with its water flows and dynamic environment with a high density of wildlife, made it even more complicated to maintain a skating rink in good condition.
Closure of other natural ice trails: The winter of 2023 marked the first time in 50 years that the Rideau Canal, the world’s largest skating rink located in Ottawa, was unable to open to visitors. The Canal opened its rink for only 10 days in 2024. In addition, the MRC de Joliette has also announced the end of the skating rink on the Assomption River after 40 years of operation.