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The Rideau Canal Skateway opened its 48th season at 8 a.m. Friday.

The recent cold snap brought with it days of speculation about when the “world’s largest skating rink” would be set to open, with NCC officials pleading with people to remain patient.

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Officials ended that speculation Thursday afternoon, announcing a five-kilometre stretch from the Bronson Avenue rest area to Pretoria Bridge — including all of Dow’s Lake — will open at 8 a.m.

The skateway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, requires an ice thickness of 30 cm to support the weight of skaters along the 7.8-km surface of the Rideau Canal, stretching from downtown Ottawa to Dow’s Lake.

Photo by Errol McGihon / Postmedia

The skating season typically opens in the first weeks of January, and spans on average 50 days per year.

Last year’s skating season lasted only 25 days. The previous year had 34 skating days.

The skateway attracts an average of one million visits per year, according to NCC officials.

Photo by Errol McGihon / Postmedia

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