The Premier of Ontario has declared a province-wide state of emergency and issued a stay-at-home order in response to rising COVID-19 variant infection rates.
Mon, 18 Jan 2021
As temperatures drop and ice forms over creeks and ponds, Oakville Fire reminds residents to stay off all bodies of water, including stormwater management ponds. Once frozen over, a stormwater pond may look safe, but it's what's below the surface that makes it dangerous. Inlet and outlet pipes keep water continuously flowing beneath the frozen top layer, making skating and other recreational activities extremely unsafe.
Many other factors affect ice strength including air temperature, road runoff, sun, wind, snow and overall thickness of the ice.
“Any of these factors can cause the ice to weaken and become very dangerous to walk, skate or play on. The strength of ice can’t be judged simply by its appearance or the temperature outside,” said Oakville Fire Chief Paul Boissonneault. “At this time of year, parents are reminded to educate children about ice safety."
Stormwater management ponds play an important role in our environment and are not suitable for recreational activities at any time of the year. Please never skate, walk or toboggan on these ponds. If you see someone fall through ice, please call 9-1-1 immediately.
Throughout the town, there are many safe and fun outdoor winter activities for the entire family to enjoy. Please visit our winter recreation page for a full list of activities.
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Local municipalities and Conservation Halton have launched a joint winter water safety campaign.
Read the joint news release.