At the first Winterlude in 1979, it was more than skaters and Beavertails out on the Rideau Canal. A special ice sculpture at Winterlude pays tribute to the event that ran from 1979 until 1985 and featured quarter-mile horse races on the ice. Bill Galvin founded the Trotting on the Rideau harness races, and told CBC Radio's All in a Day that the event was a real spectacle. Galvin was active in the harness racing community and knew the history of harness racing both on the Ottawa River and the canal. "They came from all over North America to race on the canal, because of the very smooth surface," Galvin said.
