Rideau Canal Skatewayopens for winter

Today was the first day skaters could lace up and get out on Ottawa's world-famous Rideau Canal Skateway if they were brave enough to face the bone-chilling weather.

A 2.3-kilometre stretch of the skateway opened Saturday at 8 a.m., with an opening ceremony a few hours later.

This is the50thseason of the skateway.

• Lace 'em up: Skateway's 50th season set to begin Saturday

According to Environment Canada, the high this morning was only 13 C, with the wind chill making it feel much colder. Still, those temperatures didn't stop people from enjoying the wintry weather.

Sarah Griesbach and her husband brought their two children out to embrace the cold. Her daughterHaven did her best to stay balanced and keep up next to her mother.

Farther down the ice, five-year-old Emily Denham also seemed to be having fun skating around with her father.

"Without the canal, skating on the canal, [Ottawa] would be a much lesser city in the winter," said John Dance.

"You have to celebrate winter and being on this canal, skating on this canal, is the way to do it."

Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna spoke at the opening ceremony.

"Get your friends all out here," she said into themicrophone. "We are winter, here in Ottawa Centre."

Barbara and Brett Taylor were on a cross-country drive from Halifax when they foundthemselves stuck between two storms and decided to hunker down in the nation's capital.

Barbara said skating on the canal was on her bucket list.

"It's just a beautiful idea," she said, "skating in the middle of the city."