Saskatoon ponds not yet safe for skating despite freezing temperatures

Despite Saskatoon and most of Saskatchewan getting hit with a big chill, the city’s fire department is reminding residents that it’s not yet safe to walk or skate on neighbourhood ponds.

“I’d recommend you don’t walk across any body of water that you don’t know the thickness of the ice before you go on it,” said Rob Hogan, deputy chief of operations with the Saskatoon Fire Department.

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“In the next week or two we’ll start testing our ponds, and we require eight inches before we put a sticker on to say it’s safe to skate on them.”

The city has 11 ponds throughout its neighbourhoods.

All the snow Saskatoon has received over the past week might actually slow down the freezing process, Hogan noted.

“That insulates the water very well, so the ice does not freeze as well with this big layer of snow, so it takes us a little bit longer,” he explained.

Hogan doesn’t expect many issues around the ponds right now because of the frigid temperatures, but he asked that parents keep a close eye on their children when things do warm up.

“It’s really important that you watch out for them,” he said. “Make sure they stay away from any body water that you don’t know the depth and thickness to. Of course, once we do open the ponds, we do encourage people to go out there and use them responsibly.”

Hogan also advised caution around the South Saskatchewan River, where people frequently hike and walk their pets.

“The one thing about the river that people underestimate is that the water fluctuates on the river every couple days. It takes about two days to get the water from the dam to Saskatoon, so it can go up or down,” he explained.

“So if you see ice on the river, you never know if the water is right underneath that ice or if there’s a foot or six inches or 10 inches of space between the water and that ice.”

Hogan said it’s important to stay well away from the edge of the river.