Your El Niño forecast means summer will hit different here

So, everyone is talking about this El Niño weather pattern and what kind of summer we’re going to get. Honestly, another super-hot one and the first thing I think about? The Rideau Canal. You know, the Skateway. If we have another mild winter like we did, with a super El Niño summer preceding it, it just means more uncertainty for that whole operation. And for Ottawa, the Canal isn't just a place to skate, c'est comme notre identité, non? It’s the thing that makes us unique, that gets us on all the international lists.

Think about it. A shorter, less reliable Skateway season impacts everything from tourism dollars that flow into the ByWard Market and the little shops along Elgin Street, to just the general mood of the city. We cling to that ice, sometimes literally. The NCC works miracles to get it open, but even they can't fight the climate forever. This isn't just about a few extra degrees; it's about our quintessential Ottawa experience being under threat. It's a bit like imagining a Westboro brunch without the option to complain about parking, if you catch my drift.

It hits different here because the Canal is such a central part of our winter ritual. The real story is never on the Hill — it's always just off it.

Simone Okafor-Bouchard, MiTL Sports Desk, Ottawa.

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