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Climate30 outlets ran this3 min read

NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal

Plan aims to extend skating season amid climate change concerns.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
The NCC is seriously considering artificially freezing this section of the Rideau Canal Skateway to make conditions more reliable, its CEO says. (Brian Morris/CBC)

What this story says

  • The National Capital Commission (NCC) is considering artificially freezing a 900-metre section of the Rideau Canal.
  • This proposal is a response to climate change impacting natural ice conditions.
  • A feasibility study suggests using refrigeration pipes embedded in concrete.
  • The NCC CEO stated this could triple the number of skating days, with potential installation in the early 2030s.

Who covered it

Left 76%(22)Centre 24%(7)Right 0%(0)

Percentages are shares of the 29 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 30 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

60/100

Hype

20/100

30 sources · methodology

Thin on the right so far

None of the 29 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.

This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) is evaluating the possibility of artificially freezing a portion of the Rideau Canal. This consideration stems from the increasing unreliability of natural ice conditions, attributed to climate change. A feasibility study has recommended the installation of refrigeration pipes within a concrete slab to maintain ice quality.

The proposed section for artificial freezing spans approximately 900 metres, extending from the Corktown Footbridge to the National Arts Centre. According to the NCC CEO, Tobi Nussbaum, this measure could potentially triple the number of days the canal is open for skating. The earliest this system could be operational is the early 2030s.

Disagreement on details

Reports differ on the specific role of Tobi Nussbaum. CBC News identifies him as the CEO of the National Capital Commission. Digests from Narcity, Battlefords NOW, meadowlakeNOW, CFJC Today Kamloops, Medicine Hat News, and Ckpg Today refer to him as the NCC chief operating executive officer.

What the coverage left out

No right-rated outlet ran this story. The full report from CBC News stated that the cost of the system would be expensive and beyond what the NCC could afford on its own, but did not provide an estimate. None of the left or centre-rated digests mentioned the potential cost or the specific recommendation of using refrigeration pipes embedded in a concrete slab, details present in the full CBC News report.

Tags:#ClimateChange#RideauCanal#ArtificialFreezing#Skateway#NationalCapitalCommission

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 25 times, most recently on 14 Nov 2026, 02:00, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

22 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports highlighted the NCC's consideration of artificial freezing for the Rideau Canal due to climate change. They noted the proposal involves a 900-metre section and could triple skating days, with a potential earliest installation in the early 2030s. CBC News, which provided a full report, quoted NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum stating the commission is 'seriously mulling' the plan and that it is 'really, really important' to offer skating options. These reports also mentioned a study predicting fewer than 20 skating days by the 2050s without emission reductions and noted that the canal has relied on nature since 1971. Some digests also included Nussbaum's title as chief operating executive officer.

Centre

7 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the NCC's consideration of artificially freezing a part of the Rideau Canal in response to climate change. They mentioned the feasibility study's recommendation for refrigeration pipes and the potential to triple skating days. Digests from these outlets often cited Tobi Nussbaum, identified as the NCC chief operating executive officer, telling CBC News about the commission's plans and the feasibility study.

Right

0 rated outlets

No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal?
Of the 29 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 76% are rated left, 24% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 30. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal left or right?
The story itself is neither. What can be counted is who has covered it, and 76% of the 29 rated outlets on it are rated left — so far this is a story carried mostly by the left. Coverage is still arriving and that can change, which is why the figure is dated rather than fixed.
Is the coverage of NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal biased?
NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal is one event reported by 30 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which side is not reporting NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal?
When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
Which outlets covered NCC Considers Artificial Freezing for Rideau Canal?
30 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What is the National Capital Commission considering for the Rideau Canal?
The National Capital Commission is considering artificially freezing a 900-metre section of the Rideau Canal. This is in response to climate change making natural ice conditions less reliable for skating.
How would the artificial freezing system work?
A feasibility study suggests using refrigeration pipes embedded in a concrete slab. This method is similar to what is used for refrigerated outdoor rinks to maintain consistent ice temperatures.
When could this artificial freezing system be in place?
The earliest that such a system could be installed is estimated to be in the early 2030s. This timeline allows for further planning and implementation of the proposed technology.

Read it at the source

30 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

22
Show 14 more

Centre

7

Right

0

No outlet in this group ran the story.

Not rated

1

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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NCC considers Rideau Canal artificial freeze | MediaBias News