Outdoor ice rinks are being replaced by roller rinks in many European cities as they struggle with their costs and environmental impacts in a warming world.
But will Canadian cities face similar decisions? And what can be done to keep outdoor skating alive? Here's a closer look. It's been a warm winter across much of Canada, making slush of the skating season in many places — including Ottawa, where it was announced last week that the iconic Rideau Canal Skateway would not open this year, for the first time since it was first cleared for skating in 1971.
Earlier that week, in Atlantic Canada, speed skating practices for Canada Winter Games athletes at the Halifax oval were delayed by heavy rain and temperatures of 8 C that left its surface a large puddle.
Meanwhile, the only rinks open in Montreal for much of the winter were refrigerated ones, also known as "artificial ice rinks." WATCH | Skating cancelled on Rideau Canal: In other parts of the world, below-zero winter temperatures are already unreliable, and chillers, which require lots of energy to make artificial ice, are crucial.