As spring approaches and the days get longer and the sun gets warmer, children are intrigued by melting snow and ice and the attractive rivulets of water that run over and under the winter build-up. That intrigue and curiosity can lead youngsters to larger and more dangerous flows of spring water – Calgary’s rivers, canals and lakes. As the ice melts and breaks up along our waterways, please use the opportunity to educate your children about the dangers of ice, and supervise them closely.
As spring approaches and the days get longer and the sun gets warmer, children are intrigued by melting snow and ice and the attractive rivulets of water that run over and under the winter build-up. That intrigue and curiosity can lead youngsters to larger and more dangerous flows of spring water – Calgary’s rivers, canals and lakes. As the ice melts and breaks up along our waterways, please use the opportunity to educate your children about the dangers of ice, and supervise them closely.
Spring break-up is the most dangerous time around Calgary’s waterways, although the safety of ice, especially over running water, can never really be trusted. Ice strength cannot be judged by appearance alone. Under the river ice, a steady current erodes the ice from the bottom up. The ice breaks down from underneath towards the surface, so what may well appear to be “solid” on the surface is giving way near the water.
You can neither judge the depth of the ice, or the depth of the water below the ice, just by looking at its surface. Calgary’s rivers vary tremendously in their depth, from a few inches in some place to up to 35 feet in others. If you venture onto what you may believe is a shallow shore, you can very quickly find yourself over seriously deep, fast moving water where ice conditions cannot be trusted at all.
Ice safety can also not be judged simply by its thickness in one location. Ice over water with a current is at least 15% weaker than ice of a similar depth over a lake.
Another danger particular to Calgary’s Bow and Elbow Rivers is that they are managed waterways. Their flow can be regulated and the level of the water raised or lowered. Ice depends on water for support, but if the water level has been lowered after the ice formed, there just may be nothing there to support it.
With the Bow River being open through much of the winter, the lowered water level creates another hazard. Ice “shelves” form from the riveredge and then drop off abruptly into open water. The shelves create an attractive but highly hazardous platform for curious eyes and toes. These shelves are not safe and can collapse without warning.
Finally, Calgary’s fluctuating temperatures create conditions that can cause unexpected erosion, deterioration and break up. Any sign of water or slush on the ice is reason enough to stay well away from it.
My warnings above are to convince you of one thing. Stay off the ice, keep your children off the ice.
As parents you can set a wonderful example. Talk to the kids about the dangers of the ice, and let them see how respectful you are of those dangers. If walking with your pets along the shore, keep your pets from wandering out over the ice too. Not only do you not want to see this member of the family break through, you certainly don’t want your child to follow his friend onto the ice.
Kids are often fearless of truly dangerous situations because they have no experience of the harm. Children may not know how the ice cold water of the river can affect their small bodies, making toes and fingers, arms and legs, useless in a matter of seconds. Hypothermia can set in almost immediately. And the enormous danger of being swept away under the ice adds a deadly risk that children might not foresee. As parents and caregivers, our job is to keep our young charges well clear of these potentially fatal risks.
If you see someone in trouble in the river or on the ice, call 911 immediately. Emergency Dispatch will send the Calgary Fire Department’s Aquatic Rescue Unit with its trained divers and equipment to safely enter the water at sub-zero temperatures.
That is a call we hope doesn’t come. Long before I was Chief at the Calgary Fire Department, I was part of Aquatic Rescue. From personal experience, I can tell you there is no more harrowing an experience than looking for the victim of a completely avoidable tragedy in Calgary’s icy river.
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