'Never safe to skate on': officials warn residents of the dangers of ice integrity at stormwater ponds

Epcor and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) are reminding residents of the risks of traversing frozen stormwater ponds during the winter.

According to Epcor's senior manager of wastewater collection maintenance Jenn Morrison, Edmonton has just over 240 stormwater management facilities within the city.

"They look like a pond, but they're actually not," Morrison told CTV News Edmonton on Jan. 8. "Whether it's - 4 C or - 40 C, they're never safe to skate on. We can't trust the thickness, because it is an active facility."

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The stormwater ponds take rainwater and snowmelt from around the city and filter them back into the North Saskatchewan River using intake and outlet pipes, which brings in the melting solution used across the city during the winter.

Morrison said the snow melting solution will melt the ice underneath the surface, making it unsafe to skate or walk on.

"The water is constantly moving and that can create a lot of challenges and uneven ice. That's why we can't trust even testing the ice, it can change at any given time," said Morrison. "Even if you were to check it today, it could be completely different tomorrow."

Rob Allen, the chief of special operations for EFRS, and his team of around 200 train for different types of water rescues twice a year – which is especially helpful considering three vehicles broke through the ice and plunged into Sylvan Lake in late December.

He said winter training consists of storm water pond rescues as well as river rescues.

"People will clear off a patch and they'll play hockey, or they'll skate on it. They'll walk their dogs across the ice (or) they'll walk across the ice for short cuts – none of which is safe," Allen said.

"These storm water ponds aren't completely stagnant … with moving water, there (are) variations in the ice thickness," he added.

With nearly a dozen stormwater rescues a year, Allen said it is "a common misconception" that temperature has an effect on the ice surface's integrity. He warned warmer weather increases the possibility of people traversing the ice at stormwater ponds.

To promote safer places to skate, Epcor provided nearly 90 grants to various communities around Edmonton to create and maintain ice rinks as part of its Community League Ice Rink Grant program.

For more information on stormwater management facilities, visit the City of Edmonton website. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Matt Woodman