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travel / adventure zone
| The Adventure Zone |
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If you're looking for winter shut-ins during February,
don't go to Ottawa. By day, the icy streets of the nation's
capital may teem with demure civil servants. But in
its off hours, Ottawa rocks to the beat of Winterlude.
It all began in 1979, when one of the chilliest, snowiest
capital cities in the world threw a great big party
to showcase the little-known joys of winter. The build-it-and-they-will-come
concept succeeded and 26 years later, Winterlude draws
more than 600,000 visitors each year, more than one-third
of whom come from well beyond the Ottawa region.
In 2004, Winterlude, which spans three weekends from
February 6 through February 22, kicks off with its first-ever
street dance. Featuring the Dominican Republic's Tropicalissimo
dancers, with giant puppets, percussion and pyrotechnic
effects, it's a hot start to what promises to be the
frostiest festival yet. Earlier in the day, ice carvers
in the Casino du Lac-Leamy Crystal Garden rev up their
imaginations and their chainsaws to create gigantic
dinosaurs that will roam the landscape during the "Prehistoric
Times" competition. In the Canadian Snow Sculpture Showcase,
teams of carvers will turn massive blocks of white stuff
into Canada's physiographic regions. The schedule is
also filled with wild ice slides in Gatineau's Snowflake
Kingdom, horse-drawn sleigh rides, dogsledding, hot
air balloons, the Winterlude Triathlon, the Keskinada
Loppet cross-country ski race and a game of shinny starring
NHL alumni. Winterlude's pièce de résistance, of course,
is the Rideau Canal, which beckons visitors to lace
up a pair of skates and head out on the world's longest
skating rink.
During February, it's great to be Canadian and Ottawa
is the place to be. For a complete calendar of events
for Winterlude 2004, visit www.capcan.ca/winterlude
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