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RVC, municipalities warn residents to avoid frozen storm ponds

As temperatures continue to fluctuate in Rocky View County (RVC), area municipalities are reminding residents the risk of walking or skating on frozen storm and drainage ponds.

As temperatures continue to fluctuate in Rocky View County (RVC), area municipalities are reminding residents the risk of walking or skating on frozen storm ponds or drainage canals.

“Many storm water and drainage ponds have moving water beneath the ice surface, and they never freeze to a level that makes them safe to walk on,” said RVC's Fire Chief, Randy Smith, in a statement. “Residents are reminded for their safety to never venture out on any storm water or drainage pond, and especially do not play hockey or skate on these surfaces.”

The City of Chestermere posted a similar message about the danger of frozen storm ponds on social media Jan. 11. According to Shawn Press, a community peace officer with the municipality, the issue has become increasingly apparent this winter, as more people are recreating outdoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Jan. 15, peace officers in Chestermere were called out to a storm pond in Kinniburgh after a report came in a youth had fallen through the ice. According to a press release from the city's RCMP detachment, the youth managed to extricate himself. Now, the detachment is asking for the family to contact them. 

“Typically, this is an issue we deal with each and every winter as storm ponds freeze up,” Press said. “However, this year, we’ve seen an influx in people, due to the fact people are home, looking for something to do during provincial restrictions.”

To deter people from skating on frozen storm ponds, the City of Chestermere applied sand to some of the frozen storm ponds around the city – much to the chagrin of some local residents. 

Press said the danger of storm ponds stems from the waterways’ rapidly changing water levels, which can weaken the ice – regardless of how cold it is outside.

“As we all know, storm ponds are not natural water settlements – at least not all of them,” he said. “They’re typically man-made and developed in such a way that water consistently flows in and out.”

As temperatures rise, Press said snow and ice melt and go down a drain, some of which ends up in a storm pond, along with sediments from the roads. This can create variations in ice thickness.

“Due to this, they’re unpredictable and we can’t keep accurate measurements of the ice thickness,” he said. “Depending on the time of year and the temperatures outside, some parts of these ponds can be very thin and weak. This obviously poses a danger to people being out on them.”

According to Press, there are roughly 10 storm ponds in Chestermere, though he said the ongoing development of the Chelsea neighbourhood in the west end of the city will likely require a few more in the coming years.

In the north end of the county, the City of Airdrie posts signage reminding residents to avoid frozen storm or drainage canals. According to the City’s deputy fire chief, Ken Hubbard, frequent temperature fluctuation makes any type of frozen waterway unpredictable at this time of year.

“They experience rapid freezing and thawing, because of the switch between warm and freezing conditions,” he said. “They usually have water running underneath, which can actually weaken the ice surfaces. Any time there is any ice that surrounds obstacles like trees, rocks or under bridges, it becomes weak and brittle and can break.”

For people who want to go skating, Hubbard said the safest option is to use municipally sanctioned outdoor rinks.

–With files from Jordan Stricker/Airdrie City View

Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19



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