Ice thickness testing in Halifax area reveals no lakes, ponds are safe to be on

The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) started its annual ice thickness testing program this week, and some of the results received already are alarming.

“Minimum four inches for one or two people. If you want to have a hockey game with eight or 10 [people], you want six to eight inches,” says Paul D’eon, the project director for the Lifesaving Society of Nova Scotia, who says he's concerned that the standard hasn't been reached yet this year.

D’eon says the rule of thumb is to wait until there’s been four to five days of temperatures well below zero before venturing out on the ice.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it. I am certain that climate change is responsible for it. The salt water is warming up, the air is warming up and as a result, we don’t get safe ice,” he says.

The HRM has the stats to back up D’Eon’s claim.

“Our detailed records go back to the year 2010 and this is the first year we are saying that our testing has been as limited as much as it is and this of course is due to the weather conditions that we’ve been experiencing in the area,” says Ellen Mallard, a public affairs advisor with the city.

The municipality checks 70 lakes and ponds each year beginning when ice starts to form. Staff have tested 29 sites in the last three days and none of them have been deemed safe.

“The program site locations are on municipally-owned land that have a safe access point for our staff to conduct the testing that fall within a reasonable travel distance from state-to-state given our available staff and resources,” Mallard says.

Staff test the ice by drilling three holes at 50-foot intervals out from the shoreline. The aim is to check the ice once a week.

“It’s up to the discretion of our residents whether or not they want to use the ice. We do strongly advise our residents to check to see if the ice has been tested and if it’s safe to be on,” says Mallard.

People can request a site to be added to the list of regularly tested lakes and ponds. There is no specific end date for the ice thickness testing program. 

When the lakes become unsafe for testing or no readings can be captured, the program is over.

As for the Canadian Red Cross' safety standards, it recommends:

• ice thickness of 15 cm for walking or skating alone
• ice thickness of 20 cm for skating parties or games
• ice thickness of 25 cm for snowmobiles