Cross-Country Ski Trails in Ottawa

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel. During the summer, when there isn’t a pandemic, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.

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Anyone who lives in Ottawa knows that spring, summer and fall are brief houseguests whereas winter is like close family.  To enjoy the season more,  our family loves to cross-country ski.  If you’re looking for a way to get some exercise this winter, here are a few of our favourite cross country ski trails in Ottawa   

Mer Bleue

Since moving to the east end,  Mer Bleue has been my go-to spot.  There are four different parking lots to access the trails.  The scenery is amazing and many Ottawa families know the joys of feeding the chickadees.   

Our son, David learned to cross-country ski on the relatively flat trails of parking lot P23. Some of the trails from the other parking lots offer more ups and downs.     

One highlight at all the trails is the canopy of snow in the trees after a fresh snowfall.   

One cool feature is that if all the trails at Mer Bleue are busy, you will often find few people on the Prescott-Russell rail trail which also  has parking just off of Anderson Road.   

Pine Grove

This is my go-to spot if I just want to get away from everything. I find the trails are generally quieter than Mer Bleue and the trails seem to go on forever. I always imagine encountering a bear or a wolf on the trails as you feel completely in nature. Don’t worry,  I have not heard of any bear or wolf sightings.  Perhaps many chipmunks and the odd skunk or raccoon.  

Ski Heritage East/Ottawa River Trail

This is a relatively new trail for me.  In 2018,  a group of volunteers wanted to expand cross-country skiing to Orleans and started grooming the bike trails along the river.  The trail has since expanded all the way from Trim Road to Blair Road making it 30 km there and back.  

I had the opportunity to ski the trail a few weeks ago and it was an amazing experience.  To have the view of the Ottawa River on one side was incredible.  I saw two huge pieces of ice slowly collide on the river. I felt like I could have been on the movie, Titanic and yelled,  ‘Iceberg, right ahead.’   

The day I visited,  the trail was moderately used and there was space to socially distance.  There are nice flat sections and also small hills.

Rideau Winter Trail

This trail started off as a trial project last winter and has grown in scope this year.  Set along the Rideau River,  this may be my new favourite trail in the city.  The Rideau Winter Trail runs from the Rideau Sports Centre near Donald Street to past the Hurdman light rail station.  It offers up nine kilometres of groomed trail.

The thing I love about this trail besides the fact it is beautiful is that it is accessible to many people.  Located right in the heart of Ottawa,  it is easily accessed by University of Ottawa students or anyone taking the light rail.  The trail is literally almost right in front of the light rail station. There is also plenty of space for social distancing.   

Your local park

The great thing about cross-country skiing is that you can throw on your pair of skis and go almost any place there is adequate snow.  This year,  I have been doing a lot just in my local park just outside my backyard.  

One of my favourite memories was doing a video call with my wife’s family from Mexico while David and I skied down a small hill.   

Skiing during COVID-19

It goes without saying the trails are much busier this year.  There is an increase in skiers and also hikers, snowshoers and fat bikers. Most people have been very respectful about social distancing on the trails. I do find the trails are very busy on weekends. I try to go during the week when the trails are less busy. I found the Rideau Winter Trail had the most space for social distancing.  

A big shoutout must be given to the National Capital Commission and the Urban Winter Trails Alliance.  Working together both groups have greatly expanded the urban trail network in Ottawa. Also, a guy with the nickname of Groomer Dave (Dave Adams)  was instrumental in getting the trail project going.  About five years ago,  working with the NCC,  he had the idea of grooming trails along the Ottawa River in the west end.  This led to the creation of the SJAM.  His vision helped us to arrive to where we are at today.  

West End Ottawa Cross-Country Ski Trails

Don’t worry west-enders, you have plenty of options as well.   As mentioned, the SJAM is a wonderful trail along the Ottawa River.  There is also the Britannia Winter Trail  along with the Ottawa West Winter Trail.

All the trails mentioned above are free of charge but donations are gratefully accepted to many.  It is best to check out their website or Facebook page for conditions and possible donation information.  

Wherever you go, happy skiing!

Winterlude, Winter Sports

The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite books for children with us. This month’s post is by Sue Townley from the Sunnyside Branch.

Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester
Tacky the penguin is back to compete at the penguin winter Olympics. While the other penguins train and prepare Tacky is his usual lazy self and continues to sleep through the exercises and eat all his favourite foods, pizza, chips doughnuts. In the end Tacky saves the day and leads his team to victory in his fun and zany way. A fun read aloud, especially during winter Olympics years.

Pearl’s New Skates by Holly Keller
Pearl receives a pair of skates for her birthday and can’t wait to try them out. She practices her twirls and spins and dreams of how she will gracefully skate over the lake. When the lake finally freezes over she joyfully heads out to skate. She soon learns that it is not as easy as she thought, as she falls head over heels and soon wants to give up. With some encouragement from her Uncle Jack she learns about persistence and succeeds in enjoying herself skating.

Hans Brinker by Bruce Coville
A beautifully illustrated picture book version of the classic Mary Mapes Dodge tale. This version is much shortened but keeps the key elements of the original story. Hans bravely finds medical help for his father, finds his family’s missing money, and shows his strength of character during the famous skating race. The illustrations by Laurel Long contribute to the classic, nostalgic feel of the book. A magical wintery classic for the older reader.

Polar Skater by Sally Grindley
With charming, fanciful illustrations by Heli Hieta the reader is captured by the joy of a young girl learning to skate by herself for the first time. She slides off into an imaginary winter world filled with walrus’, polar bears, wolves and snow geese. Her happiness is contagious and the reader is swept up into the wonder of winter. With rhyming text this book makes a wonderful wintery read aloud for the preschool set.

The Greatest Skating Race by Louise Borden
With talk of the Elfstadentocht taking place this year in Holland this is a perfect read to introduce young readers to the excitement of long distance skating. Set in 1941 in war torn Holland, we are introduced to ten year old Piet who must help his young neighbours escape from the Nazis, who have imprisoned their father for passing messages to the Allies. Piet, a strong skater, leads them along the canals the sixteen kilometres between Sluis and Brugge, Belgium, outwitting German soldiers. In the story we learn about Pim Mueller, the founder of the Elfstadentocht, the Eleven City race that takes place on the canals of Holland on winters the weather allows the 200 kilometre race to take place. Filled with action and tension this is a good read aloud for the older reader.

Sam the Zamboni Man by James Stevenson
Young Matt comes to visit his grandfather, a zamboni driver, in this charming intergenerational tale. Matt has never seen a hockey game or a zamboni and when his grandfather takes him to see his first game his gets to see how important his grandfather is. His grandfather, a former hockey player, awes Matt with not only his zamboni driving skills but his skating skills as well, when he takes Matt to visit the stadium on a quiet night. The highlight of the trip is when Matt gets an opportunity to drive the zamboni himself. His grandfather promises to teach him to skate and play hockey next time he comes for a visit. This combination of hockey and machinery will surely be a hit with younger hockey fans.

Just One Goal by Robert Munsch
Robert Munsch and hockey is a perfect combination. A fun filled story of a girl named Ciara who desperately wants a hockey rink on the river so that she does not have to go all the way across town to play hockey. With a bit of determination and some help from her father she builds that rink and everyone comes out to play. Somehow Ciara’s team cannot seem to win a game and by the final game Ciara is determined to score the winning goal. She is in a race with spring to get her goal before spring melts her rink. A rollicking, action filled tale by one of Canada’s great storytellers.

Sophie Skates by Rachael Isadora
Rachael Isadora, best known for her ballet stories, turns her attention to the world of figure skating. Sophie, age eight, is determined to become a professional figure skater. Sophie’s day begins at 5:00 a.m., with skating lessons and continues through school and then back to the rink to skate some more. This book is an excellent balance between story and information with details about how to properly tie skates and ice-skating moves. With action filled illustrations this is a nice introduction to the hard work and dedication required of a young athlete.