Ice-related incidents trigger thin ice warning

Ice fishers, snowmobilers, and others are once again being asked to be careful around ice.

The Water Security Agency (WSA) is issuing a call  for people to take care around frozen bodies of water. It says warmer weather than usual and “several serious ice-related incidents” in the province’s southeast over the holidays show there’s reason for concern.

The WSA is stressing the importance of checking ice thickness on lakes, creeks, and other ice surfaces before you get on them. That includes those fishing, walking, snowmobiling, or driving across the ice.

The WSA’s guidelines dictate there should be at least 10 cm (four inches) of ice to before you walk on the surface, 20 cm (eight inches) to drive a snowmobile or ATV on it, 30 cm (12 inches) to drive a car or light truck on, and it takes more than 30 cm (12 inches) to support a heavy truck.

The release also notes that “clear, hard ice is the only ice recommended for travel,” and people should avoid ice that looks slushy, has thawed and re-frozen, is near moving water, is layered, or has “structures” like pressure ridges on it. Thickness can also be different in different spots, and people should check the thickness each time they’re on the ice, even if it has been checked on previous visits.