Rideau Canal Skateway opens in time for New Year's

The Rideau Canal Skateway hasopened before the new yearafter all.

The National Capital Commission opened a 3.2-kilometre stretch of the canal between the Bank Street bridge and Concord Street at 2:15 p.m. ET.

The NCC had been going back and forth between optimism and doubt about whether it could open before New Year's Day as weather conditions changed over the last two weeks.

The last time the 7.8-kilometrelong canal opened for skating before New Year's Day was in 2004, when it opened Dec. 28.

Mobile users click here to see a map of which part of the Canal will be opening.