This activity has been a delight for skiers in the area – and even the county – for several winters. The Éco-Odyssée water maze in Wakefield, Ottawa, will unfortunately not turn into a large ice maze this season.
Read also : An ice maze in the forest where you can skate this winter
There are a series of factors in question, including increasingly unstable winters and the difficulty of maintaining such tracks in a natural environment, as Olivier Rocheleau Leclerc, COO, explains:
“People who used to skate often criticized us for the quality of the ice. Last winter was very complicated due to bad conditions, both with heavy snowfall and heavy rain. It takes a careful balance between the two to make it an ice rink. In addition to that “Our labyrinth is a natural environment that is always moving as water enters and exits the area. We are only in the third year of operation. We still have a lot to learn about this area.”
© Image taken from the Éco-Odyssée Facebook page
However, Éco-Odyssée does not draw a specific line for this activity and reserves the option of allowing visitors to skate on its icy canals in the forest.
© Image taken from the Éco-Odyssée Facebook page
“We will only open if the conditions are good, but we will not force things,” says Olivier Rocheleau-Leclerc, who has other projects in mind, particularly an ice track and a large circle with lights and music.
© Image taken from the Éco-Odyssée Facebook page
“We also want to develop and test new activities besides skiing, such as sliding when it snows,” he added.
The Éco-Odyssée restaurant is still open this winter
Even without skiing, the site is accessible with other activities you can try during the season, including 5 kilometers of trails dedicated exclusively to snowshoeing.
© Image taken from the Éco-Odyssée Facebook page
It is also possible to rent several accommodations to spend the night in the surrounding hills and extend the vacation period. They are two luxury type shelters (l’Évasion and l’Exode) and a “pod” type shelter.
© Eco Odyssey Nature Park
As a reminder, during the summer, Éco-Odyssée offers adventures in a canoe, pedal boat or SUP in the heart of the swamp, in a real maze of canals with 64 intersections.
