After almost two years, and a few extra hours of waiting, Ottawa’s iconic Rideau Canal has officially reopened to skaters.

The skateway’s return comes after last year’s unseasonal warmth kept it closed for the entire winter for the first time in its history.

Shortly before the reopening, the National Capital Commission delayed the official start of the skateway’s 54th season from 9 a.m. to 12:30 pm. because it said the ice needed more time to fully freeze after overnight flooding.

The section open to skaters is also about half as long as what the NCC announced Saturday when it shared the long-anticipated reopening message.

The NCC says the skateway is open for a roughly one-kilometre stretch between Bank Street and Fifth Avenue.

The NCC says as ice conditions become safer it will open more sections of the skateway, which winds through 7.8 kilometres of the capital when it’s fully frozen.

READ ALSO: Thin ice: Ottawa’s Rideau Canal still isn’t open for skating, despite cold weather