In the cold winter months, most people prefer curling up with a book and a nice cup of hot chocolate to braving the cold temperatures outside–especially at night. In the Canadian city of Edmonton the temperatures dip to -35°C in winter, but people still go out in droves. Why? To visit a unique winter wonderland ice trail.
The Victoria Park IceWay, known as Freezeway by the locals, roughly takes up 2,700 square meters and is full of colourful lights, rustic lanterns, lush foliage and smooth ice for skating. The three-loop skating trail weaves through majestic forests and is located in the heart of downtown Edmonton.
The colourful lighting hits the ice to create a fairytale like pathway that is fun for tourists and locals alike. Created in 2015, the trail was initially as a creative way for locals to commute to work. The annual trail has since expanded and now attracts huge crowds to the town.
A video about the building of the trail, reveals 60 to 80 trucks full of water are required to create the winding paths. More water is required to maintain the paths every morning and keep them smooth for skaters.
There are a number of other skating paths in Edmonton, all part of an initiative called the WinterCity Strategy. The strategy is aimed at getting residents out and about during the cold winter months.
Residents can skate on the trails anytime from 10am but need to wait until 5pm if they want to experience the spectacular light show. The light show finishes up around 10pm so there is plenty of time to build a snowman and roast a few marshmallows before the fun ends for the day.
For those worried about the cold, there are two warming huts located at either end of the skating trail–they give visitors to the park a warm retreat where they can relax before hitting the ice again.