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CLOSED FOR THE SEASON

eco-odyssee

🚧 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-Odyssée, 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!