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It is with regret that the Eco-Odyssee Nature Park team announces the temporary closure of its ice trails for the winter of 2023-2024. Complex conditions for operating natural ice Several factors lead the park management to make this difficult decision. Winter conditions are becoming increasingly uncertain, and managing natural ice poses challenges that most land-based ice trails do not encounter.

Eco-Odyssey Nature Park, like the Rideau Canal, has a skating rink located on a body of water. To open this type of ice trail, the temperature must be maintained below zero for several consecutive days. It also requires a minimum of 10 inches of ice. Moreover, the winter of 2023 marked the first time in 50 years that the Rideau Canal, the world’s largest skating rink located in Ottawa, could not open to visitors.

A decision influenced by the winter of 2022-2023 The winter of 2022-2023 greatly influenced the decision to temporarily close the ice maze. The Director of Operations, Olivier Rocheleau Leclair, states that the difficult weather conditions of last winter, characterized by extreme fluctuations, created considerable challenges. Regular concerns were raised by experienced skaters about the quality of the ice, attributed to poor weather conditions.

Last winter was particularly marked by excessive periods of snow and rain, creating a precarious balance to maintain a quality skating rink. The dynamic nature of the maze, located in a constantly evolving natural environment with water flows, added additional complexity. The Director of Operations also emphasizes that the park is only in its third year of operation, highlighting the ongoing need to learn and adapt to this specific terrain.

Possible opening for winter 2023-2024 Although the ice maze is currently not available, the site will be open for other winter activities, including 5 km snowshoe trails. The possibility of offering visitors the opportunity to skate on frozen canals in the forest will be evaluated based on favorable weather conditions.

Details and opening dates for other activities are yet to be determined, but everything will be posted on the website and social media, and communicated via the newsletter. Hoping for favorable weather conditions for winter sports, we wish you a beautiful winter season! – The Eco-Odyssey Nature Park Team

Fall colors 🍂😍
The captivating autumn colors have been steadily gracing at the Eco-Odyssee Nature Park.
Now is the ideal time to secure your spot for an adventure through our water labyrinth, where you can witness the beauty of fall colors in all their glory.
Remember, we’re open on weekends and on Holidays only until October 9. Hurry, spots are limited.

To celebrate the magical fall season, we are offering you a 10% discount on all our activities at Parc Nature Éco-Odyssée.

Take advantage of it from now until October 9 to experience unforgettable moments in the heart of nature.

Apply the promo code Autumn10 to benefit from the 10% discount.

IN ONE MONTH! THE PERSEIDS 😍
This is your chance to come and observe the shooting stars in the heart of the marsh, from a boat.
Available between August 10 to August 13 starting at 9pm!
Reservation required at : https://www.eco-odyssee.ca/en/adventures/the-perseids/

Nomades du Parc and Parc Nature Éco-Odyssée invite you to a 24-hour sports and festive bike camping event on August 5, 2023!

Event Schedule

August 5, 2023
Between noon and 1 p.m.: Check-in at Nomades du Parc in Chelsea
Between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.: Bike ride towards Parc Nature Éco-Odyssée
Between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.: Camping setup at Parc Nature Éco-Odyssée
Between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.: Dinner + Campfire + DJ on-site
Starting from 9 p.m.: Nighttime water maze activity (optional and additional $15)

August 6, 2023
9 a.m.: Departure towards Nomades du Parc

Other Information

Early Bird: $60 + taxes until July 14.
Regular Price: $70 + taxes.
Watercraft rental and water maze: +$15.

Tickets: https://lepointdevente.com/billets/la-cavale

PILOT PROJECT: Bring your watercraft!

From Monday to Thursday starting June 19 until the end of summer, you can bring your paddle board or your kayak under 13 feet and experience an adventure in the water maze at a preferential rate! *

Please note that it is mandatory for a member of our team to clean your boat in order to avoid any cross-contamination with the marsh ecosystem.

The price includes:
– Activity in the water maze.
– Access to the site.
– Cleaning your boat.

*Not available between July 24 and August 6, 2023*

Mandatory reservation

We are delighted to announce that the Eco-Odyssey Nature Park will be opening on May 13th!

Promo Code

Take advantage of a 15% discount by applying the promo code mai2023 (available only for online reservations for the month of May).

What to do at Eco-Odyssey?

Come with friends or family to discover the nature of our marsh by pedal boat, canoe, paddleboard, or single kayak.

Friendly reminder, external watercraft (canoe, kayak, paddleboard) are not allowed on the premises. We do not have a service dock to accommodate these watercraft, and we also aim to avoid cross-contamination between different water ecosystems.

We also have hiking trails and walking mazes.

Opening Hours

SPRING – OPEN ON WEEKENDS STARTING MAY 13TH

Saturday: 10 am to 9 pm
Sunday: 10 am to 6 pm

SUMMER – OPEN EVERY DAY FROM JUNE 17TH TO AUGUST 27TH

Sunday to Thursday: 9 am to 6 pm

Friday and Saturday: 9 am to 9 pm

FALL – OPEN ON WEEKENDS STARTING SEPTEMBER 1ST

Saturday: 10 am to 9 pm

Sunday: 10 am to 6 pm

Reservation

Online reservations at www.eco-odyssee.ca

Ticket office opening – SUMMER SEASON OF 2023😍
We can’t wait to welcome you at Éco-Odyssée Nature Park for our sixteenth summer season. Come canoe, kayak, pedal boat or paddle board, with family or friends.
The summer season starts on Saturday May 20, 2023!

🚧 SEASON CLOSURE 🚧

It is with great sadness that Eco-Odyssey Nature Park announces the end of its winter season as of March 2, 2023.

The accumulation of snow expected in the coming days, poor ice conditions, and high temperatures prevent us from offering you a quality experience. Even if the team maintained the ice all week, it would not be possible to have an operational skating rink for the weekend and March break.

Unfavorable weather conditions

This year, the months of December, January, and February recorded a temperature 6 degrees above seasonal averages.

Moreover, this is the first time in 50 years that the Rideau Canal, the largest skating rink in the world located in Ottawa, cannot open to visitors. It is a very difficult winter season for several outdoor businesses, including ours.

Like the Rideau Canal, Eco-Odyssey Nature Park has natural ice, meaning that the skating rink is located on a body of water. To open the park’s icy trails, the temperature must be maintained below zero for several consecutive days. A minimum of 10 inches of ice is also required.

We maintain the ice using a variety of techniques and machinery, including:

Ice resurfacer
Tractor with shovel and blower
All-terrain vehicle with shovel and blower
All-terrain vehicle with rotary brush
All-terrain vehicle with water container
Manual blower
Manual rotary brush
Water pump
We have also written a document of over 80 pages to maintain natural ice according to the state of the ice, its thickness, temperature, and accumulated snow.

The importance of a quality experience

For the Wakefield family business, it is essential to offer a quality experience. Unfortunately, due to high temperatures and ice conditions, it is no longer possible to do so for the rest of the season. That is why we have decided to close early for the 2022-2023 winter season.

Reservations

Visitors with a reservation until the end of winter will be contacted in the coming days. Please note that season passes and 10-entry cards will be extended free of charge for the 2023-2024 winter season.

We have closed our ticket office for skating, so it is no longer possible to make reservations for the 2023 winter season.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Moving towards new projects

With this early closure, the managers are focusing their efforts on the summer opening, improving activities, and developing a brand new maze.

The ticket office for the 2023 summer season will open on March 15.

Learn more about the impact of temperature on ice

In this excerpt, Amélie Rocheleau Leclair, co-owner of Eco-Odyssey, explains the impact of hot temperatures on the ice maze.

To listen to this interview conducted on Radio-Canada on March 1, 2023, for the show Les Matins d’ici, click here.

Thank you for your support of the park, and we look forward to seeing you this summer!

⛸ REOPENING ON FEBRUARY 24 ⛸
Great news! We can welcome you back on our beautiful ice trails ❄️ Please note that the ice is natural and may have some imperfections!
Open from Friday to Sunday.
Friday: 2pm to 10pm
Saturday: 10am to 10pm
Sunday: 10am to 6pm
Enjoy the illuminated trails on Fridays and Saturdays until 10pm ✨
Limited spots. Reserve at https://www.eco-odyssee.ca/en/skating/