Is the Rideau Canal Skateway the best outdoor skating rink in Canada? Only Twitter can decide. (Photo: Joey Waitschat/CanGeo Photo Club)
Photo: Is the Rideau Canal Skateway the best outdoor skating rink in Canada? Only Twitter can decide. (Photo: Joey Waitschat/CanGeo Photo Club)
It all started with a tweet.
Calgary Herald reporter Colette Derworiz cheerfully announced that Lake Louise -- "the best skating rink in Canada" -- is almost frozen solid enough to host ice skaters.
Best skating rink in Canada almost ready... https://t.co/2VG0wARG0E
— Colette Derworiz (@cderworiz) December 4, 2015
Our senior editor Harry Wilson issued a gentle correction:
@cderworiz Ahem...surely you mean *one* of the best skating rinks in Canada?! @CanGeo #rinkwars pic.twitter.com/Ib8favkviQ
— Harry Wilson (@MrWilsonH) December 4, 2015
Thus were the #rinkwars ignited.
We put the question to our followers:
What do YOU think is the best skating rink in Canada? Use hashtag #rinkwars! https://t.co/KxRqEJGGNH
— Canadian Geographic (@CanGeo) December 4, 2015
There was plenty of love for the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa:
@CanGeo Is there really a debate? ;) #rinkwars pic.twitter.com/b8K7Z2oHB4
— RideauCanalSkateway (@NCC_Skateway) December 4, 2015
@CanGeo Obviously the @NCC_Skateway! Bonus pts for accomodating hockey players, families, tourists, and commuters! #rinkwars #ottawa
— Jesse Robertson (@JesseRoberts0n) December 4, 2015
@JesseRoberts0n @CanGeo @NCC_Skateway Not to mention harness racing. #rinkwars pic.twitter.com/xBJ8nLHHQc
— Pat Naughton (@oboondocks) December 4, 2015
@CanGeo still smitten by @NCC_Skateway after nearly 25 years in #ottcity!
— Jennifer Moore (@goodoldjen) December 4, 2015
@MrWilsonH @CanGeo @cderworiz Not one of the best - the world's best! #MyOttawa pic.twitter.com/KdrTfiCLtD
— Stevie's Juke Joint (@StevieJukeJoint) December 4, 2015
The rest of Canada wasn't about to let Ottawa skate away with the competition, though.
Best skating rink in Canada, @CanGeo?
Have to start with Lake Louise! pic.twitter.com/yiCXQhyITf
— Banff Squirrel (@Banff_Squirrel) December 4, 2015
My second favourite skating rink Canada, @CanGeo? Banff's Lake Minnewanka:)
Photo-@PaulZizkaPhoto pic.twitter.com/ifOAgFzWzj
— Banff Squirrel (@Banff_Squirrel) December 4, 2015
Great Slave Lake during @LongJohnYK #RinkWars @CanGeo @MrWilsonH @cderworiz pic.twitter.com/qdlQDXOptp
— Spectacular NWT (@spectacularNWT) December 4, 2015
@CanGeo you're a geography mag! Has to be Red River skateway @The Forks in Wpg! Always an endeavor, always a winter treasure! #rinkwars
— Deborah Morrison (@HistoryDeborah) December 4, 2015
@CanGeo #Winnipeggers know winter, so it's only natural that the Red River skating trail @TheForks is hard to beat! #rinkwars
— Jessica Finn (@JesiannOutdoors) December 4, 2015
@CanGeo #rinkwars Check out the skating trails at @ArroPark and at @Townbracebridge in #Muskoka
— Muskoka GIS (@MuskokaGIS) December 4, 2015
.@CanGeo My favourite rink in #Canada is my first, in Makkovik, #Nunatsiavut, on #Labrador's north coast. #rinkwars pic.twitter.com/qID6E6D2ip
— Andrew Bresnahan (@AndrewBresnahan) December 4, 2015
Despite many persuasive arguments to the contrary, though, Derworiz doubled down on her original assertion:
@StevieJukeJoint @MrWilsonH @CanGeo I skated on the canal for 4 winters when I lived in Ottawa. It's great...until you skate on Lake Louise.
— Colette Derworiz (@cderworiz) December 4, 2015
What do YOU think is Canada's best outdoor skating rink? Tweet us your vote @CanGeo with the hashtag #RinkWars.
