Highlights of the Third Weekend of Winterlude

OTTAWA, February 15, 2018

The third and final weekend of the 40^th Winterlude is already here! Dress warmly to enjoy the celebration one last time with the many activities on offer from February 16 to 19.

For the latest information and any changes or cancellations, check our calendar of events, Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Crystal Garden at Confederation Park: “Winter Fun! Timeless Memories!”

To bring the 40^th Winterlude to a close, the Sub-Zero Concert Series will wow the crowd with two dynamic concerts. On Friday, the “Soirée ICI Musique” will present a sensational evening of hip hop with Koriass, Dramatik and King Abid. The show will be hosted by Philippe Fehmiu, who will also perform a DJ set to conclude this high-energy concert. On Saturday evening, Francesco Yates and DJ Vito V will close out the 40^th edition of Winterlude in style!

Here’s what visitors can do during the day before attending the shows:

• Attend a live radio broadcast of All In A Day (Friday from 3 to 6 p.m.), presented by CBC Radio One.
• Let the kids take part in “cool” activities in the Li’l Chillers Zone.
• Learn the secrets of ice carving at a demonstration by the Canadian Ice-Carvers’ Society.
• Compete in the popular Public Ice-Carving Challenge (minimum age 18; registration required).
• Join the Kettle Boys for some “olde tyme” fun and tall tales.
• Show off your best moves in the friendly Impro-Dance challenge hosted by Empreinte Vague (Saturday; minimum age 12; first come, first served).
• Participate in “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” a workshop focused on expressive movement, imagination and improvisation, with Empreinte Vague (Sunday, open to all).
• Limber up at Kids Morning sessions with Jeremy Fisher (in English) and Mix Mix Dance Collective (Saturday), and Fitness Morning with Le grand set carré (square dancing) and Mix Mix Dance Collective (Sunday).
• Admire some amazing ice sculptures: a 90-block structure depicting the mascots of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018: Soohorang, the white tiger and Korea’s guardian animal, and Bandabi, the Asiatic black bear, a symbol of determination and courage; a 45-block structure recalling the days of horse racing on the frozen Rideau Canal; a 46-block structure celebrating the 40^th edition of Winterlude, presented by the Delegation of the European Union to Canada; and “Butterflies in Flight,” an ice carving presented by the Canadian Museum of Nature.
• Revisit the past 39 editions of Winterlude at a retrospective photo exhibit.
• Experience Face, a monumental interactive work, a light show where projections play with portraits.
• Discover Inuit culture with Nunavut Sivuniksavut.
• Enjoy cookies, mini-donuts, coffee and hot chocolate at the Circle K Ice Café, and try cookie samples created by Redpath Sugar.

Just across the street from Confederation Park, at Marion Dewar Plaza (in front of Ottawa City Hall), OLG All for Skating Shows will feature skaters from the Gloucester Figure Skating Club and guest artist Alaine Chartrand, 2016 Canadian national champion. Members of the public can skate on the Sens Rink of Dreams to the beat of music by DJ Rodrigo. The rink will also be the site of the highly anticipated Ottawa Senators alumni hockey game. On Family Day (Monday, February 19), visitors of all ages can join the annual Family Day Skating Party or scramble up the Altitude Gym Climbing Tower. Those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground can view Parks Canada’s photography exhibition Epic. Arctic. Sirmilik, showing the beauty and grandeur of Canada’s North.

Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park North, Gatineau: “Winter Pleasures”

On Sunday, February 18 at 3 p.m., everyone is invited to the Cultural Space to celebrate the birthday of Noumi and Nouma, the Ice Hog twins. Once again this weekend, Snowflake Kingdom has lots of fun in store for visitors and families:

• Challenge yourself in The Cadets Corps 2920 Gatineau Obstacle Course, and learn about the naval and maritime environment with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.
• Enjoy storytelling with Manu and his books, Le petit monstre chocolaté and Blagueur le bavard. (In French only.)
• Tune in to a live radio broadcast of Fréquence hivernale, created by and for the young members of Radio Jeunesse.
• Go on a journey of the imagination with Atchoum and her musical show Prêt, pas prêt! (in French), and take a flight around the world with Atlas GeoCircus in The World is Small! (bilingual).
• Discover the a cappella harmonies of Barbershop Therapy, a group of four music students from the University of Ottawa performing vintage tunes from the 1920s all the way to well-known songs of today.
• Watch an extreme aerial acrobatics and trampo-wall show, in a special edition to celebrate the 40^th Winterlude.
• Interact with Humanoid, a gigantic digital art projection.
• Learn about Indigenous history and culture and enjoy stories, songs and games in the Indigenous Village.
• Try kicksledding, a Scandinavian sport that works really well in Canada’s climate too!
• Speed down the hugely popular Super Slides (Tim Hortons Chinook, Iceberg and Glacier).
• Admire amazing snow sculptures by talented carvers.
• Get a free introduction to downhill skiing (for ages 5 to 8).
• Visit the Kiddie Zone, where little tykes can burn off all that excess energy!
• Play giant versions of favourite family games.
• Discover the art of wood carving with Josh Dagg.
• Savour a cup of coffee from Tim Hortons, sponsor of Snowflake Kingdom.

Rideau Canal Skateway: Celebrating 48 seasons of skating!

Saturday is the day of the 38^th Accora Village Bed Race for Kiwanis, a Winterlude classic. Fifty teams will race modified beds down a 50-metre course—a unique and unforgettable sight! On Sunday, another iconic event promises to thrill spectators: the Waiters’ and Waitresses’ Race on Ice, featuring nimble servers zipping between tables with their trays held high.

Selected activities from previous weekends will be back, including:

• Free Nokia Learn to Skate sessions.
• Hot drinks and a rest area at the OLG Sno-Bus Station, and live performances on the OLG Stage.
• The Pepsi Fun Zone, featuring an obstacle course and much more.

The Nokia Rest Area (at Concord Street) and the OLG Sno-Bus Station (at Fifth Avenue) will welcome skaters looking for a place to meet or take a break.

Winterlude Partners: More programming than ever!

This year, nearly 50 partners have come together to make Winterlude richer and more entertaining than ever. Here are some of the activities taking place over the long weekend of February 16 to 19 at various locations in Ottawa and Gatineau:

• The 2018 Winter Brewfest, Friday and Saturday at Lansdowne Park ($).
• The Winterman Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, and 3K, 5K and 10K running events at the Canadian War Museum.
• The 40^th annual Gatineau Loppet, starting and finishing at École secondaire Mont-Bleu (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).
• The Crackup Snowmania Challenge: Most Snowmen Built in One Hour, Saturday at Lansdowne Park (free registration on site; fundraising activity).
• Cool Science Saturday at the Canada Science and Technology Museum ($).
• Free interpretive tours and Sailing on Ice sculpture demonstration ($) at the Bytown Museum.
• Awesome Arctic exhibition ($) (Sunday) and Far North Family Day ($) (Monday) at the Canadian Museum of History.
• ByWard Blizzard Snow’Art snow sculpture exhibition in the ByWard Market.
• The Fur Trade exhibition at the Bank of Canada Museum.
• Snowmania in the Glebe.
• ByWard Blizzard Beats in the ByWard Market.
• Sparks Street ice arcade.
• Sparkly Snow Coasters craft workshop at the National Gallery of Canada ($; included with Gallery admission).
• Butterflies in Flight, a special exhibition presented by the Canadian Museum of Nature ($).
• Beat the Cold at the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum ($).
• Family Day at the National Arts Centre.
• Mosaïvernales Gatineau 2018 – Winter Magic at Jacques-Cartier Park ($).
• Downtown Rideau Chill Factor’s Chill Lounge (ice and snow art).

Canadian Heritage is proud to present Winterlude with the support of the following official sponsors and site partners: OLG – Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, Circle K, Enbridge, Tim Hortons, Nokia, Pizza Pizza, Pepsi, Goodlife Fitness, Redpath, Ville de Gatineau, City of Ottawa, National Capital Commission, Fairmont Château Laurier, The Westin Ottawa, Lord Elgin, Aboriginal Experiences, Altitude Gym, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Canada, Ontario Snow Resorts Association, Association des stations de ski du Québec, Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Royal Canadian Army Cadets, Canadian Ski Council, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, Delegation of the European Union to Canada, Drop in Sport, Ottawa Art Gallery, Historica Canada, Ice Dragon Boat Foundation, Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, Motivate Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Parks Canada, Canadian Rangers, Zone3sports, Société de transport de l’Outaouais, OC Transpo, and many others, including members of the region’s tourism industry.