Municipal Enforcement urges the Community to keep safe by staying off local storm ponds. Due to fluctuating water levels and the weak and unpredictable composition of the ice, no activity on storm pond ice is safe. Ever.

Chestermere Peace Officer Sergeant Bowman explains, “In the winter, storm ponds exhibit the same unpredictable behavior as rivers, as the water levels and flow are in constant flux.  These changing flow patterns coupled with run off from the roadway that includes salt (which melts ice) can create dangerous conditions that are not visible from the surface. Just because the ice looks solid, does not mean that it is safe to use for walking or recreation. If you wouldn’t walk across a frozen river, why would you chance playing on a storm pond?”

The City is presently using education through social media, signage and on-site verbal warnings as a means to discourage the use of the storm ponds. 

Where non-compliance is evident, effective immediately, the City will commence to render storm pond rinks unusable through the application of sand or gravel on ice surfaces. Amenities such as hockey nets and benches shall also be tagged and removed from the ice surface. 

As owner of these storm ponds, the City must ensure the public safety of its citizens and make all attempts to prevent unnecessary deaths such as the tragic event that happened in December in Milton Ontario, where a child fell through the ice on a storm pond and drowned. 

The Parks Department has built many safe skating options so instead of using a storm pond, choose one of the City’s outdoor rinks.

.City Ice Rink Facts:

• There are safe on-land and Lake rinks for public use this winter
• Our ice rinks are monitored and maintained by our Parks Division and community volunteers to ensure a safe experience
• The Lake does not experience constant flow of water under the ice throughout the winter, which leads to a safer, more consistent ice surface for our Lake rinks.

Remember to always check ice thickness before using Lake rinks. That information can be found at www.chestermere.ca/skate. 

If you see recreational activity on a storm pond facility, you can report it to the RCMP and Municipal Enforcement at 403-207-7058.

Call 911 if someone falls through the ice.

To learn more about outdoor ice rinks near you and ice safety, visit https://www.chestermere.ca/619/Outdoor-Rinks