What to know
- Torontonians love skating on the frozen Lake Ontario in the winter, but experts advise against it.
- Ice thickness is just one factor when determining if ice is safe to skate on. Ice quality is equally as important.
- If you accidentally fall into the water, the Lifesaving Society recommends employing the 1-10-1 method.
Toronto’s bitterly cold temperatures over the past weeks have people turning towards makeshift ice rinks on Lake Ontario near the Toronto Islands, but the city warns it’s a dangerously slippery slope.
The City of Toronto forbids skating on “lagoons, the inner harbour and other open bodies of water” due to “temperature changes, salt run-off and other factors” that can cause the ice to be extremely dangerous.
Every year, adrenaline-loving Torontonians risk their lives by attempting to skate on the frozen Lake Ontario next to the Toronto Islands. However, Stephanie Bakalar from the Lifesaving Society says that’s a bad idea.
Ice thickness and quality
She says it’s a myth that ice depth is the only factor that matters when it comes to whether a patch of ice is safe to skate. Ice quality is something skaters often don’t account for.
“Thickness is certainly an important factor, but it needs to be coupled with an assessment of ice quality. Ice should be measured in several areas, and the cut ice evaluates for quality.”
Bakalar says the strongest ice — ice that’s least likely to break beneath your feet — is usually colourless, but may appear blue, green, or black, depending on the colour of the water underneath. Strong ice is also hard, clean and devoid of slush, debris, water pockets or discolouration. Lastly the ice must not be covered by snow, as snow can prevent ice from freezing.
Ideal ice thickness varies depending on who or what is bearing weight on it. For a single person, the ice should be at least 10 centimetres thick. For a snowmobile or ATV, the ice needs to be 12 centimetres thick.
Life-saving tips
What if the worst case scenario happens and you or a loved one falls through the ice? Bakalar says not to panic, and to use the 1-10-1 principle.
“So anyone going out on the ice should know the basics of ice self-rescue. If someone falls through the ice, they need to stay calm and try to catch their breath,” she explains.
“After you fall through the ice you have one minute to control your breathing, 10 minutes to get yourself out of the water before you’ll lose the ability to move your body effectively, and one hour before hypothermia sets in.”
She advises once you’ve calmed down and have caught your breath, to face back towards the direction you came from, spread your arms wide on the ice in front of you, and kick your feet and try to shimmy onto the ice.
“Disperse your weight by spreading yourself out as much as possible. Do not stand up once you’re back on the ice, crawl or shimmy back to safety,” Bakalar adds.
If someone else falls through the ice, call for help and call 911 immediately and throw the person a rope or flotation device if there’s one on hand. Do not, under any circumstances, go into the water to try and save the person.
To avoid the chances of falling into the water at all, Bakalar strongly recommends going skating with someone, avoiding going at night, and to familiarize yourself with the skating path beforehand.
