The Rideau Canal wasn't frozen yet in early January, but fear not! There is the Rink of Dreams -…read morean outdoor ice skating rink located in front of the City Hall, set with picnic tables, and a structure where you may change into your skates in the relative comfort of thawed fingers (open daily from 8 am to 11 pm). Ice skate rental and sharpening is available during certain hours. Admission is free. A BeaverTails Pastry shop hawks freshly made fried dough with an option of toppings (I highly recommend the maple spread for $5.75), and a short menu of beverages. They are closed Mondays & Tuesdays, open 4pm-10pm Wed - Fri, and noon - 10pm on weekends. Cash only. The ice is not the best (even after a run through by the zamboni), but it is a good sized rink, it is free, and the surroundings is pleasant enough. When it gets dark, they even light up the rink in pretty changing colors. Totally makes for a fun wintertime activity. My only warning is that I found it a bit dangerous making my way down to the rink from the changing structure with my skate shod feet - the ground wasn't level so I kept finding myself slipping on the snow crusted surface. I tried walking sideways, perpendicular to gravity as they teach you for skiing, and it kind of worked... though not completely. Need a bathroom? The City Hall is available with its facilities and you can warm up inside a bit while checking out their small art galleries - but no skates (on feet) allowed! Hours: open daily from 6 am to 11 pm, November to March, weather-permitting

As we enter gelid January, consider visiting the city's newest downtown attraction: the Rink of…read moreDreams. This is the rink's second season, and while it will never rival the Rockefeller Center rink, it's a very picturesque setting in the unique urban backdrop of City Hall's sparkling lights. Optimum vistas are omnipresent when the sun has set: - Parliament Hill is lit up with thousands of Christmas lights. The Peace Tower and the towers blaze with coloured spotlights. - Confederation Park, where nearly every tree is lit up. - Brillant blue lights around the National War Monument. - Chateau Laurier - Convention Centre - Lord Elgin Hotel The 5-year old in me, delights in the LED lit boards. A first-class move that goes great with the festive lighting on the City Hall grounds. The Rink of Dreams is for all people - young and old, and best of all it's completely gratuit!

We have visited the canal for many years but this was our first time trying the ice bike…read moreexperience, and unfortunately, it will be our last. Renting from Capital Skates turned out to be an incredibly frustrating and frankly unsafe experience. The primary issue is the equipment maintenance: the tires on these "ice bikes" appear to be completely worn down and are clearly not fit for a natural ice surface. With absolutely zero traction, the rear tire just spins in place, leaving you drifting helplessly rather than actually cycling. This lack of grip makes steering nearly impossible; I spent most of the ride fighting a massive lag in responsiveness that nearly sent me veering into the canal edge multiple times. The mechanical failures didn't stop there, as the gear shifter took nearly 15 seconds to actually engage after being moved, making any kind of momentum impossible to maintain. To make matters worse, the business model feels designed to capitalize on their monopoly on the canal. You are forced into a rigid two-hour rental--no more and no less--which is a steep commitment for equipment this poorly maintained at nearly $60 per bike. We attempted to call the business to address these concerns, but the line went to a voicemail that hasn't even been set up. It's a shame that such an iconic Canadian landmark is served by a vendor that seems to have given up on basic maintenance. Save your money and your nerves--stick to traditional skates.

Wow! What a cool and unique experience! I learned how to skate as a child but am not a pro. I'm…read morenot very good at stopping, as an adult I usually stick to near the edge and run into the boards to stop, but after planning a trip to Ottawa during winter and hearing about this place I knew I needed to try it, and I am so excited I did. I was a little nervous not being a good skater, and having read some reviews that the ice is full of holes and not well surfaced, and that during Winterlude (when we were visiting) it gets crazy I was a little nervous, but I was glad to find that I had no problems. True the ice isn't perfect, that should be anticipated when on an outdoor rink, but it was still an enjoyable experience despite not being a confident skater myself. I went slowly and was able to make it through even rocky areas by holding my husbands hand. I went on Saturday during Winterlude and on Family day and both days were very busy, lots and lots of people on the ice, but that didn't take away from the experience. Faster and better skaters were able to go around me and other slower skaters and they were respectful of those of us who weren't as skilled. If you aren't a skater at all, you should still come and enjoy this cool place! My husband is not a skater and he walked in his boots the entire open length of the canal. I walked it one day and skated it the other day we visited. We also watched lots of others enjoy the space in the same way. I was also nervous about the ice conditions after watching them change between good, fair and poor in the week leading up to our visit. The day I walked the canal it was listed as "very good" and it seemed like it was. The day that I skated it was listed as "fair" and I found it not bad at all. There were certainly areas where the ice was bumpy and some holes but overall even as a weaker skater it was good, so don't let the ice conditions scare you, if you are here in winter give it a try! You can even buy beavertails and other food while still on your skates! Getting on the ice is free, and there are different entrances that have benches, bathrooms, food places, fire pits, places to hang out and so much more! Such a cool and unique experience, plan a trip out to Ottawa in winter ASAP!

There's a stupid rule Whare if ur not skating u have to pay still and that's on week days so…read morerecommend to go there on a weekend so it's fine

Horrible!! So small, way too loud music, terrible staff, the roller skates smell like sweaty feet…read more(I doubt they even clean them). I went to a birthday party and some kids forgot to bring their helmets, so the staff went up to them and said "GET OFF THE RINK" but guess what? They don't rent helmets!! So they couldn't skate! It was so hot and we all wanted water but the vending machine was broken! So the girls went to the bathroom, but the water was hot so we couldn't drink it. A lot of us were stopping because it was our first time rollerblading but the staff came up to us and said "YOU CANT STOP" so we had to get off the rink! The people there kept skating really fast in front of us and we kept falling because they bumped into us!! I saw a girl that kept falling and a staff went up to her and said " if you're really bad at roller skating you shouldn't be on the rink" like excuse me?!? Just a horrible place

Numbers continuously growing, and new programs being offered must mean the club is doing something…read moreright. Great staff running it with solid coaches.

I was fortunate enough to train here from '99-'01 and what I took with me was a lifetime of great…read morememories. Minto supports its competitive skaters and gives them the opportunities to get out there and be seen as well as the tools to deal with the ups and downs that inevitably follow. I may not have reached my ultimate goal but my name is probably still on the Nationals '01 pendant hanging from the ceiling in the Don Jackson rink and that's enough for me.

Great store, grabbed myself some Bones Swiss Bearings and ultra soft 78 bushings here…read more Knowledgeable staff. Limited stock in regard to general hardware for long-boarding, but they do have a few options however. Recommended.

My brother bought a skateboard there They have a nice dog…read moreThey got tea and coffee They are nice and help some And... They got Tim Hortons we could taste... -Nick the brother of my brother that bought a skateboard

If you are a proud dog owner, off-leash dogs are allowed at this neighbourhood park. The playground…read morerecently got a makeover and I believe there will be a splash pad for kids this summer. If the rating was based solely on the dog park side of things, I would drop it a couple of stars. The greenery & upkeep of the open dog play area (south side) are on the poor side. There is fencing on the south and east sides. The dogs and their owners bump it at least one star. It's not a very busy park. Overall the dogs and their owners are a friendly, happy bunch. You get to know everyone relatively quickly. The poopiness of the park is pretty good, but I keep an eye out where I am stepping. People who take their dogs to the park tend to scoop-da-poop. My kids are looking forward to the new splash pad opening. A couple of years ago, Fairlea Park was transformed into a natural playground in addition to the existing ball diamond, play structure and basketball court. The kids play area is in the north side of the park. In the winter months, boards go up for an ultra Canadian experience: outdoor hockey.

I live just on the outskirts of the park here, and have been bringing my dog to this area for the…read morepast year we have had her. One thing I must mention about the previous Review is that the review describes the park, but the pictures seem to be from another park a short walk up the road. One thing I MUST bring to peoples attention about this park, has really nothing to do with the park itself, but the people living in the surrounding area. Since getting our dog, and wondering if we could run her off-leash in the park behind us, we have triple checked with the City of Ottawa website, checked numerous blogs and sites showing where the off-leash areas around us are, and spoken to many other dog owners in the area. That said, NO ONE who lives in the area who does not own a dog, believes it is an off-leash area. There are no notifications pointing one way or another as to whether you need to leash your dog in the area, and it has led to a couple confrontations. Our dog is VERY friendly, and will run up to anyone in hopes of getting some attention. She is also big (45 pounds, but big to people who don't like dogs) and she comes running up at you. She never barks, growls, or the like, just running up with a big dopey grin and gets in your personal space (we've been working on correcting this behaviour, but she forgets as soon as she learns). For other dog owners, this is not a problem, they have come to realize a happy approach versus an intimidating one, and needless to say, if she were to show ANY signs of aggression, we would not let her off-leash in the first place. As soon as she does this though, to people who are terrified of 45 lbs of tongue and fur wanting to be pet, the threats of calling by-law begin, the "put your F'n dog on a leash" begins, the "this is NOT an off-leash area!" begins, and frankly, you can't really point out the facts to these people, cause they don't care. The mere saying hello by something that isn't human, or in some ethnic cases "down right demonic" is enough that they basically come at you with everything short of "your dog will be in the electric chair by weeks end, dagnabit!". Beyond that though? Great park, friendly people, friendly other dogs, and a great community to meet new people (2 and 4 legged) and have a great time...just don't let your dogs move past the area which would be confined by leash if anyone living in the area happens to stroll right through the middle of it. And By-Law or City of Ottawa, PUT UP A SIGN!