March 04, 2018 - 5:02 PM
WINNIPEG - A skating trail in Winnipeg that's among the world's longest has now closed for the season, but operators say it broke new records this year for length and the number of days it was open.
The Forks Red River Mutual Trail says on Facebook that this year's trail was the longest ever at 10 kilometres, and was open for 72 days.
The trail operates annually on the frozen Red and Assiniboine Rivers, and boasted it was the longest naturally frozen skating trail in the world in 2008 when it reached 8.54 kilometres.
Guinness World Records says on its web site that the current title for longest ice-skating trail is held by the naturally frozen Lake Windermere Whiteway in Windermere, B.C., which measured 29.98 kilometres in February 2014.
The Winnipeg trail hit 9.3 kilometres in 2009, but most years it averages around six kilometres, and its previous record for being open was 66 days.
The National Capital Commission says the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, which holds the record for the world's largest skating rink, closed soon after double-digit temperatures and rain hit late last month.
There were a total of 35 skating days on the canal this year and it covered 7.8 kilometres from Ottawa's downtown to the Hartwells Locks.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2018