Patterson Creek
Outdoor skating
CostFree
The NCC says the Skateway is free whenever it's open. Skate rentals cost extra.
Background
It started with hand shovels. On January 18, 1971, the NCC's chairman sent a crew out to clear the first 5 km of ice by hand -- and the world's largest naturally frozen skating rink was born (yes, that's an actual Guinness World Record). Today it stretches 7.8 km, and the NCC won't open a single metre of it until ice at all 24 checkpoints measures at least 30 cm thick, checked twice a day. Stop by Dow's Lake for a BeaverTail -- they've been part of the tradition since 1981. Hoping for elbow room? In 2021 the NCC's own advice was to come during the week and skip the 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. rush; that February the busiest entrances were Dow's Lake and Mackenzie King.
Sources: History of the Rideau Canal Skateway, From 0.0 to 7.8: A Trip Down the Rideau Canal Skateway, Largest naturally frozen ice rink (temporary) - Guinness World Records, The Rideau Canal Skateway: Creating the World's Largest Skating Rink, Looking to get outdoors in Ottawa? Avoid these busy times on the Rideau Canal and other NCC assets -- Global News (Feb 2021)
A short stretch of skating ice at 0.3 km — enough for a quick turn on the blades rather than a long skate.
Source: NCC Rideau Canal Skateway. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.