SASKATOON – The majority of Saskatoon’s local ponds are now safe to skate on, after passing an “ice thickness” test according to a Saskatoon Fire Department assistant chief.
Ice on city ponds must be at least eight inches thick to be considered safe to skate on and at least 12 inches thick to safely have snow cleared from them with machinery.
“Ice is not consistently thick and so there are areas of higher risk of ice thinness,” said Dave Bykowy, a Saskatoon Fire Department assistant chief.
“It’s important that we reach that eight inch thickness so that the entire pond is safe.”
The ponds will likely stay safe to be on until the spring thaw, unless the city experiences an unusual wave of plus temperatures, according to Bykowy.
“Bottom line is, as soon as we start seeing some melting on the ice, it’s no longer safe,” said Bykowy.
However, those rules don’t apply to all bodies of water in Saskatoon. Bykowy said the South Saskatchewan River should never be considered safe, even if it looks frozen over.
READ MORE: Rescuers recover dog that fell through river ice in Saskatoon
The warning comes with a recent tragic example. On Monday, a dog died after going through ice on the river near a dog park.
“All these ponds are static so they sit and they’re a lot more stable,” said Bykowy.
“The river is never stable, the river is always dangerous to go on and so we insist the public stay off of the river.”
Bykowy said many communities use their local ponds for winter activities once they are deemed safe. On Wednesday a number of people skated and slid on the pond at Hawthorne Park in Stonebridge. Residents say it’s a popular winter spot once the ice is secure.
“When it’s not too windy we can come out here with the kids and putz around a little bit,” said Chuck Riou, who was there with his grandchildren.
“We don’t come on until it’s safe enough for everybody to skate on.”
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