One of Canada’s oldest traditions might be more dangerous than you think.

Bowness Lagoon

Brody Ratcliffe - SAIT RTBN

Jan 27th 2021

This past weekend four victims fell through the ice at Lake Minnewanka. Although skating on frozen bodies of water may be one of the most Canadian activities to do, its important to recognize the dangers that come with it.

“Its just reassuring…”

Brayden Dyck, an avid skater on frozen ponds and lakes says he feels most safe knowing other people are already on the ice. “I like to check the ice or just kind of visually inspect it… once you see a bunch of people on it, its just reassuring.”

Ice thickness varies from lake to lake, and with that water levels can also fluctuate depending on weather in the area. Parks Canada say's skaters should not go on any natural ice surface unless its 15 cm's or thicker.

“Start calling for help…”

Calgary has also dealt with the same issues. The city has multiple storm ponds and a reservoir that both freeze over in the winter months and create new sheets of ice for people to skate over. The big issue is that the water levels are constantly changing creating air bubbles that form in the ice making the durability of ice weaker. Carol Henke, a member of the Calgary Fire Department has witnessed victims falling through the ice before and says its not fun. “If you find yourself in a situation where you’ve fallen through the ice its really important too stay calm, start calling for help right away, and try to keep your head above the water.”

The city has bylaws now prohibiting anyone from being on the storm ponds and reservoir for their own safety and Henke encourages people to know that just because other people are out skating around doesn’t mean the ice is safe.