'Unsteady' ice conditions leading city to warn Winnipeggers to stay away
Spring is here, and with warmer temperatures on the horizon, the City of Winnipeg is warning residents to stay off the ice while waterways are melting.
In a news release, the city said as temperatures get warmer, ice melts during the day, and then freezes at night, creating what it calls, “an unsteady ice surface.”
Lorne Edwards, media coordinator at Lifesaving Society Manitoba, said it’s a particularly vulnerable time for ice conditions.
“Because of this transitional weather… we agree completely that the safe thing to do is to stay off the ice entirely, especially when it comes to the riverways and ponds in the city of Winnipeg,” said Edwards.
Even if rivers and retention ponds appear to have a solid ice cover, the city noted it doesn’t make conditions automatically safe.
“There’s a lot going on underneath the ice that people can’t see. It’s an extremely dangerous hidden hazard,” the city said in a news release.
The society noted there is also a current underneath the already weakened ice.
“It’s been a very strange winter in that we've had freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw. So the ice has been tricky this winter in a best-case scenario. But right now, in particular, there is a great risk of it being in a weakened condition. And we certainly know that fluctuating temperatures can cause cracks in the ice as well to appear where you might not expect it," said Edwards.
The society also warns there’s more to evaluating ice safety than just measuring ice thickness.
“Sometimes you'll see slush on the ice, stay away from that, sometimes you'll see open holes of water on the ice, obviously, you want to stay away from that.”
The organization recommends anyone who goes near ice this spring to, “wear either an inflatable PFG or a full on life jacket, because it will save you the energy, it’ll keep you above the water,” and to never go by yourself.
The city says the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) has been training all winter for emergency rescue situations.
“Our first responders are prepared to help you if you get stuck on the ice or fall in,” said Matt Rollason, WFPS Water & Ice Rescue Coordinator. “But we hope you’ll staff of waterways so we don’t have to.”
According to the city, each year the WFPS responds to over 150 calls for people needing help on rivers, waterways, and swimming pools.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING 3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre
Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Suspect arrested in theft of Porsche that was captured on video
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Parents of Ontario teen sue alleged poison salesman Kenneth Law
The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.
11-year-old boy dies after subway surfing in NYC
An 11-year-old boy died Monday after subway surfing in New York City. He's the fourth person to die from subway surfing in the city this year.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Recall issued for 38,000 GM vehicles in Canada over software safety glitch
Transport Canada has issued a recall for 38,000 General Motors (GM) vehicles for safety risks related to a software glitch, the agency reported in a notice on Wednesday.
Top Hezbollah commander among 12 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut
Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander and other senior figures in the Lebanese movement in an airstrike on Beirut on Friday, vowing to press on with a new military campaign until it is able to secure the area around the Lebanese border.