The Canada 150 edition of Winterlude

February 3 to 20, 2017

Winterlude transforms Canada’s Capital Region into the ideal destination to celebrate Canadian traditions in wintertime. Activities for everyone are taking place at the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau, at the Crystal Garden in Confederation Park and on the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, and at various partner sites across the region.

Crystal Garden in Confederation Park, Ottawa

“Dare to Dream” carved in ice!

Come admire dazzling masterpieces in this enchanted garden and witness a fusion of art, ice and light! Ice carvers from around the world turn blocks of ice into stunning works of art. At night, special lighting turns ice-carved masterpieces into a breathtaking and mystical sight. As we celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Confederation, renowned Canadian artists will energize Friday and Saturday evenings plus the Sunday before Family Day! Some of the highlights include:

• the Winterlude Kick-off Celebration, featuring Karim Ouellet and Coleman Hell
• the Sub-Zero Concert Series, including a special Canada 150 Signature Concert on February 11
• the inaugural Canada Cup of Ice Carving, in partnership with Ice Magic in Lake Louise and the Ice on Whyte Festival in Edmonton
• majestic ice sculptures representing the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the 60^th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
• special ice displays, presented by Parks Canada, TakingITGlobal and Canada C3, a project of Students on Ice Foundation
• Inuit experiences with Nunavut Sivuniksavut and Nunavut’s Inuit storyteller and author, Michael Kusugak

Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, Gatineau

“Explore our Canadian Landscapes”—with the Ice Hog Family!

Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, co-produced by Canadian Heritage and the Ville de Gatineau, is a huge winter playground and the home-away-from-home of Winterlude’s furry mascots, the Ice Hog family. Outfitted with larger-than-life snow slides and magnificent snow sculptures, Snowflake Kingdom provides enjoyment for the young and young at heart. A few of the highlights are:

• 2017 National Snow Sculpture Rendezvous
• Canada 150 Maze
• Super Slides: snow and tube slides
• Aboriginal Village
• dogsledding, zip lining and musical bikes
• digital art projection on snow sculpture – MosaïCanada 150
• Explore the unexpected, presented by Parks Canada

Rideau Canal Skateway

Celebrating 47 seasons of skating!

Set in a UNESCO world heritage site, the world’s largest skating rink will host a variety of activities—so sharpen your blades for a unique Canadian outdoor winter experience! During Winterlude, the Rideau Canal Skateway will be centre stage for several events, including:

• special performances at the OLG Sno-Bus Station
• Hockey Day in Canada – Minor Hockey Shinny Hockey Game
• Nokia Skating Lessons
• the 1^st Ice Dragon Boat Festival
• the 34^th Annual Winterlude Triathlon
• the 37^th Annual Accora Village Bed Race

The National Capital Commission is custodian of the Rideau Canal Skateway and steward of the official sites.

Volunteers

There’s still time to be part of the biggest winter party of the year! The Department of Canadian Heritage invites Canadians to volunteer at Winterlude. Metro Ontario is proud to be the exclusive sponsor of the Volunteer Program.

Programming Partners

More partners, more diversity, more fun!

For the 39^th Winterlude, close to 50 programming partners have come together to offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities, including:

• CrackupComedy Festival
• Gatineau Winter Beerfest
• Winterman Marathon and Marathon Relays
• ByWard Market’s Annual Winterlude Stew Cook-Off
• SNOWMANIA in the Glebe
• The U.S.–Canada Relationship: 150 Years of Friendship & Cooperation
• Techno Zap
• Flying Snow
• and much, much more, including a series of culinary experiences!

Canadian Heritage is proud to present Winterlude with the support of the following official sponsors and site partners: Ville de Gatineau, City of Ottawa, National Capital Commission, CIBC, OLG – Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Metro Ontario, Enbridge, Giant Tiger, Fairmont Château Laurier, The Westin Ottawa, Lord Elgin, Parks Canada, Delegation of the European Union to Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa Art Gallery, Students on Ice Foundation, TakingITGlobal, Aboriginal Experiences, Motivate Canada, Historica Canada, Association des stations de ski du Québec, Société de transport de l’Outaouais, OC Transpo, and many others, including the region’s hospitality industry. Special thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who contribute their time, talent and energy during the Capital’s winter celebration.

Follow Winterlude on Twitter (#Winterlude), Facebook and Instagram.

Canadians can find out more about Winterlude at 1-844-878-8333 (toll free) or canada.ca/winterlude.