The Rideau Canal Skateway Photo courtesy National Capital Commission, Ottawa. Skating season preparations begin each October with the lowering of the canal's water level. When winter cold envelops Ottawa, the Canal freezes over, but the 7.8-kilometre (5-mile) Skateway opens only when its ice reaches a foot thick ?usually late December. Average skating seasons last 52 days. The longest was 90 days, the shortest, 30. Once established, crews continuously maintain the route, pumping up canal water nightly to produce new, smooth ice. Ice conditions are monitored constantly for safety. Coloured flags hoisted along the Skateway indicate conditions. Red flags flying mean the canal is closed; yellow flags report fair conditions; green flags signal excellent conditions. Many use the Skateway to skate to and from work, often carrying a briefcase in one hand, shoes in the other. "Skating is best using hockey or racing skates; the shorter blades and teeth on figure skates catch in cracks and rough ice," recalls former Ottawan Patricia Brennan-Alpert. Skaters enjoy the Rideau Canal Skateway Photo courtesy National Capital Commission, Ottawa. Skaters enjoy the spectacular route best on early-morning ice, smooth and pristine after the previous night's flooding. But, night skating has its own enchantments. Moonlight ambiance and after-hours serenity easily make up for unseen ruts and cracks. And, the Rideau Skateway experience wouldn't be complete without Beavertails, large, flat, deep-fried pastries laden with assorted toppings. Beavertail huts line the route, serving the delicacies with cold-chasing hot chocolate to the million-plus skaters who use the Canal.