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Ice Safety

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Ice safety tips and information, including, what to do if you or someone else falls through the ice.

Your safety is our concern, but your responsibility - use ice surfaces at your own risk. Obey the posted signs and information at ice surfaces to reduce the risk of injury.

Ice Thickness

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.

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.

EPCOR’s Stormwater Information

If You Fall Through Ice (Self-Rescue Steps)

  • Yell to get the attention of others
  • Reach and grab onto the ice
  • Kick hard, and push your stomach onto the ice
  • Roll like a log once on the ice; don't get up to walk to the shore
  • Hang onto the ice and keep yelling if you can't get out yourself

If Someone Else Falls Through Ice

  • Call 911
  • Yell out the self-rescue steps to the person
    • Instruct the individual to exit the ice from the same path they went in (if they walked on that ice, you know it can hold them)
    • Have them place their arms on the ice shelf and kick feet to thrust there chest onto the ice
    • Instruct the individual to roll onto the ice shelf away from the hole they created
  • Continue watching and talking to the person until help arrives

For More Information

311 Contact Centre

Online Contact 311 Online
Telephone

In Edmonton: 311
Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311
TTY 780-944-5555
Email 311@edmonton.ca

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