It is likely that the canal ring in Groningen will develop a layer of thick ice on Thursday
Skating on iced-over canals is an old Dutch tradition, and the likelihood is growing that people in Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe will be able to skate on Thursday. As reported by the GIC.
And, in order to ensure high-quality ice, the Groningen city council wants to bring in a boating ban, so that the ice will be smooth and even this week. A large number of parties in the city council want the Diepenring to be made boat-free, to help ice form.
The council will respond to the proposal on Monday afternoon. Several think that these kinds of winters are rare and that every minute of frost should be used to get the best possible ice skating.
The Diepenring froze for the last time in 2012, and the city took to the canals. “We think it would be great if we can experience that again. That would give it a place in the hearts of thousands of Groningers this winter and that is exactly what people can use now,” says Gerben Brandsema of ChristenUnie.
Image: Groningers skating on the Hoge der A in 2012 by Michiel Jelijs, on Flickr, via Wikimedia. License here.
