RIDEAU CANAL AND ICE SCULPTURES, OTTAWA, CANADA

RIDEAU CANAL AND ICE SCULPTURES IN OTTAWA, CANADA

RIDEAU CANAL, about 8 kms long flows through Ottawa, Canada. This completely freezes during winter and is used by locals as a skating rink. They claim it as the longest skating rink in the world.
When the canal is frozen, shops lending skating equipment and food courts are set up at both the ends of the canal. During week ends there is so much crowd, one feels as though the whole of Ottawa is present at the canal. For those who cannot skate a push cart similar to a child’s perambulator with skis is also lent. One can comfortably sit inside this and cover with blankets. The skater holds on to grips on this and pushes the cart while skating.
During the winter festival a sculpting competition is held. A large number of sculptors from all over the world assemble here to show off their artistry. Different themes are selected by the sculptors for the sculptures. It is very interesting to see them with drawings and cutting, chiseling and polishing huge blocks of ice. They make temporary supports for propping the sculpture till it is finished.
The work is so fine, it is only a few mm in diameter to depict strings of an instrument like lute or hair of a women. The balancing of the sculpture is very vital. When a horse is shown standing on two legs, the weight of the horse has to be perfectly balanced on the legs. Sometimes when the sculpture is complete, due to improper balancing it is heart wrenching to see the whole sculpture breaking into pieces.

We visited the canal and sculpture shows in Feb, 2004. It was still freezing out side and we had to wear a lot of protective clothing. We hired a push cart in which I sat with my grand daughter Rhea, while my son Ravi skated for some time while pushing the cart. My wife Radhika and daughter in law Pritti were spectators.