Ice Thickness
No matter how thick you think the ice is, there can be weak areas that can give way at any moment. There are many factors that can affect ice thickness including location, the time of year and environmental factors such as:
- Water depth and size of body of water
- Currents, tides and other moving water
- Chemicals including salt
- Fluctuations in water levels
- Logs, rocks and docks absorbing heat from the sun
- Changing air temperature
- Shock waves from vehicles travelling on the ice
North Saskatchewan River
It's never safe to walk on the ice of the North Saskatchewan River as water is continuously flowing beneath the surface which impacts ice thickness.
If you see someone (or a pet) fall through the ice, call 911 immediately.
- Establish and maintain a point of reference where the individual (or pet) was last seen
- Never attempt to rescue an individual (or pet) that has fallen through the ice
Stormwater Lakes and Ponds
Stormwater facilities aren't safe for any type of recreation because the inlet and outlet pipes keep water continuously flowing beneath the frozen top layer.