(Stock photo courtesy of pixabay)
While it may be tempting this time of year, the Milton Fire Department is asking you to stay off the ice.
The MFD and the Town of Milton are teaming up with the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Oakville and Conservation Halton to launch a joint winter water safety campaign.
Milton Fire Chief Peter Gatto says the pandemic is leading to more people looking for ice to play on; that’s a dangerous thing to do.
With temperatures dropping considerably over the last few weeks, frozen lakes, ponds, channels and reservoirs can be beautiful places to visit during the winter months. The Town of Milton says that “as many people are exploring alternate ways to stay active outdoors, the risks for water-related accidents are bound to increase.”
Stormwater management ponds are unsafe for skating, tobogganing and ice hockey for many reasons:
đź’¦Flowing water causes unstable ice conditions
📏Ice depth varies across the pond’s surface
🌡️Many ponds collect road runoff containing salt, which lowers the water's freezing temp pic.twitter.com/0MwXIrk8ng— Town of Milton (@TownOfMiltonON) January 29, 2021
There are a lot of bodies of water in Halton, including Lake Ontario. Here in Milton, we have a lot of retention/stormwater management ponds. They bring dangerous hazards to ice-skating as there could be pollution (such as shopping carts) that heat up the water in sunlight, causing the ice to melt. With the retention ponds being so close to the roads, there’s a chemical issue with road salt that affects the thickness of the ice. Chief Gatto says there’s even moving water underneath the ice that could lead to it being thinner than you expect.
There is a list of tips provided for the campaign:
- Keep family members and pets away from all bodies of water
- Don’t follow pets or people on the ice or attempt to rescue – call 911 for assistance
- Avoid recreational activities in or around waterways and check with your local municipality for alternative outdoor skating opportunities
The Town of Milton confirms that there aren’t any sanctioned outdoor rinks for residents to play on. That means that you are running the risk of falling through thin ice everytime you go out to skate or play. Gatto says that if you see someone on the ice, you should ask them to get off.
Be smart, stay safe.
