Wardens brush up on ice-rescue

As the outdoor skating season begins, it’s time to review some of the finer safety points of this classic winter activity.

Parks Canada’s safety specialists have been brushing up on their ice rescue skills.  Ice rescues are “not something we do very frequently, but we like to be prepared in any case,” said Steve Blake, public safety specialist.  

The lake skating season is relatively short and “we like to get the message out what to look for,” said Blake. If you do fall through the ice, you can lose consciousness in less than 15 minutes, meaning that the 15 to 45 minutes that is needed for the rescue team to gather their equipment and make it to the lake, may take too long. The reason Parks Canada wants to get the word out on ice safety is to “get people to evaluate things for themselves and make good decisions,” said Blake.  

Lake-ice conditions are not posted, so tread carefully. “We’re definitely getting to the point of the season where the lakes are getting a good freeze on them now,” said Blake. When you arrive at the shore of a frozen lake, you should “get a stone or big stick and just poke a hole through the ice and make sure that it’s at least 10 centimeters thick.  When you’re skating around, if you’re able to move freely on the lake, look for areas where there might be moving water... the ice is always more inconsistent in those areas...” according to Blake.  

Another pointer is to only skate on clear ice. “Clear, smooth ice is strong and relatively easy to evaluate,” said Blake.  Ice that is white (opaque), caused by snow, slush, or moving water, is “ice that’s really hard to evaluate and it’s not that strong.”  

Skating on a lake can be an enjoyable part of the winter season, but if you’re unsure about ice conditions, it’s probably a good idea to stay on the ground. For more information on ice safety contact the Parks Canada Information Centre at 780-852-6176.