Ice Safety

No ice is ever completely safe

The Canadian Red Cross puts it plainly: ice floating on open water, whether a pond, a river or a lake, is never completely safe, whatever its thickness. Ice can be thick in one spot and thin a few steps away, and it changes from day to day.

The Red Cross lists the things that change ice thickness: the depth of the water underneath, changing water levels, the air temperature, docks and rocks that soak up the sun’s heat, and vibration from vehicles on the ice. Ice that held you yesterday may not hold you today, so check again every time.

The Lifesaving Society’s Alberta and Northwest Territories branch starts its own list of ice safety tips with one simple rule: use designated ice surfaces. In the city, that means the lakes and ponds the City checks and opens for skating. Everywhere else, assume nobody has checked the ice for you.

How thick is thick enough?

Two trusted Canadian groups publish minimum thicknesses, and their numbers don’t match. The Canadian Red Cross gives the higher figures. The Lifesaving Society’s Alberta and Northwest Territories branch gives lower ones, but only for clear, blue or green ice, and it says white ice should be treated as suspect. To be safe, use the higher number in each row.

The Canadian Paediatric Society says an adult should make sure ice is at least 10 cm thick before a child skates on it alone. That matches the Lifesaving Society’s figure for clear ice. On ice nobody has checked, the Red Cross numbers give a family a bigger safety margin.

Driving onto ice is a different matter, with much bigger thickness requirements. The Lifesaving Society says anyone driving on ice should have an escape plan. We don’t recommend it for anyone without local, up-to-date ice reports and proper training.

Clear, white and grey ice

Colour tells you a lot about strength. The Canadian Red Cross describes three kinds:

So a layer of ice that measures 15 cm but is mostly white is weaker than it looks on the tape. Snow on top of ice also insulates it and hides cracks, slush and thin spots.

Where you can skate in Lethbridge

The City of Lethbridge has four designated outdoor skating areas on lakes and ponds:

• Henderson Lake
• Nicholas Sheran Lake
• Legacy Park, Northwest Pond
• Legacy Park, East Pond

The City checks the ice at these places at least once a week through the winter and closes them when conditions aren’t safe. It doesn’t measure the thickness at all while there is open water anywhere on the lake or pond. Each one is listed as open or closed on the City’s Arenas and Skating page, so check it before you go.

• Only skate when the City has marked the area safe, even if the ice looks solid. That’s the City’s own advice.
• Stay off closed ice. The City asks people to keep off closed ice surfaces.
• Ice fishing isn’t allowed in the designated skating areas.
• Nowhere else is checked. The City says its Parks Operations staff don’t monitor ice thickness on any other bodies of water within city limits.

Rivers, storm ponds, canals and reservoirs

Water that moves, or whose level goes up and down, makes ice you can’t trust. Around Lethbridge, that covers most of the water you’ll see in winter.

The Oldman River

The City of Lethbridge tells residents to stay off the Oldman River at all times. River ice is unpredictable because of currents and changing water levels. The Lifesaving Society’s advice is the same everywhere: stay off river ice.

Storm ponds

Stormwater ponds are built to catch runoff from streets and roofs, so water flows in and out of them all winter. The City says storm pond ice is unstable and any use of it is prohibited. Its Arenas and Skating page explains why: although a storm pond may look frozen, changing water levels can leave air pockets under the ice. A chinook that melts the snow on nearby streets sends water into the pond under the ice.

Irrigation canals

Southern Alberta’s irrigation canals run past many farms, acreages and the edges of town. In winter they’re a hazard of a different kind:

• Steep, slick banks. The St. Mary River Irrigation District warns that canal banks can be slick and steep, making it difficult for someone to climb out.
• Cold, fast water. The same district warns that canal water can be very cold and fast-moving.
• Water levels change. Canal water levels drop each fall. In 2021 the Western Irrigation District turned down a request for canal skating, saying the canals are not built to be accessed, and it strongly discourages anyone from entering them.

Treat a canal like a river: stay off the ice and keep children and dogs well back from the edge.

Reservoirs and country ponds

Reservoirs are made to store water and release it, so their levels change, and the Red Cross lists changing water levels among the things that weaken ice. Out of town, nobody checks the ice for you. If you go out on a reservoir or a farm pond, you’re relying entirely on your own measurements, so use the Red Cross minimums, go with others, and follow the steps below.

Before you step out

The Lifesaving Society’s Alberta and Northwest Territories branch lists these habits for anyone going on the ice:

• Never go onto ice alone. A buddy may be able to rescue you, or go for help.
• Avoid the ice at night. The Red Cross says the same.
• Wear a lifejacket over your snowsuit. It can increase your chances of survival if you do go through.
• Take safety equipment with you. The Lifesaving Society lists ice picks (to grip the ice if you go through), an ice staff, a rope and a small safety kit that includes a whistle and a phone. Keep the phone charged and in a waterproof bag.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Remember that spring ice is rotten ice. Late-season ice weakens fast, even when it still looks thick.

Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and check local reports first, as the Red Cross suggests.

If you fall through

Cold water takes your breath away. The Red Cross says gasping is a natural reaction to the cold, so try not to panic. Lethbridge’s water rescue team warns that once someone falls through, time is critical, because cold water quickly makes it hard to move. Knowing the steps ahead of time helps you act instead of panic. The Canadian Red Cross advises:

1. Call out for help.
2. Get your breathing under control. The Red Cross says to reach for the ice once your breathing has calmed down.
3. Don’t try to climb out where you fell in. The Red Cross warns that the ice is weak there.
4. Get flat. Use the air trapped in your clothing to float on your stomach, and kick your legs to bring your body up level with the surface.
5. Reach forward onto the ice without pushing down on the broken edge, and kick your legs to push your body onto it. Ice picks, if you carry them, help you grip.
6. Don’t stand up. Once you’re out, crawl or roll away from the hole with your arms and legs spread wide, so your weight is spread out.
7. Head for shore, still low, and call for help. The Red Cross says the right direction is usually the way you came.
8. If you can’t get out, lift as much of your body onto the ice as you can, then keep still. The Red Cross explains that wet clothing can freeze to the ice and help keep you above the water until help arrives.
9. Get warm and dry. The Red Cross says to change out of wet clothing as soon as possible. Watch for signs of hypothermia, which our winter health page explains.

Helping someone without going in

When someone goes through the ice, the urge to run out to them is strong. Resist it. The City of Lethbridge’s advice if someone falls through is clear:

1. Call 911 right away. The City’s firefighters include a trained water rescue team.
2. Don’t go onto the ice yourself.
3. Reach. From a safe place on shore, hold out a branch, a pole, a rope or something similar. The Red Cross suggests lying down as you reach, so you stay low and harder to pull in.
4. Throw. If you can’t reach, throw something that floats, such as a lifejacket or a cushion, so they can hold on while help comes.
5. Talk to them. The Lifesaving Society says to encourage them to safety. Tell them help is coming, to keep their arms on the ice and to kick. The Red Cross says to have the person kick while you pull them out.

When the person is out, get them into shelter, take off wet clothing and warm them gently. Our winter health page covers hypothermia first aid.

Pets and ice

Dogs don’t understand thin ice, and a dog chasing a bird or a ball can be out on it in seconds. The City of Lethbridge asks pet owners to:

• Keep pets on a leash near frozen water, including storm ponds, the river and the lakes.
• Never go after a pet that falls through. Don’t try to rescue it yourself. Call 911 right away, and trained responders will help.

The St. Mary River Irrigation District gives the same advice for canals: don’t jump in to rescue pets or retrieve toys, and call 911 for help.

Kids and ice

Children are drawn to ice, and they don’t judge thickness or colour the way an adult can. The safety groups agree on a few rules:

• Always actively supervise children playing on or near ice, the Lifesaving Society says. It says children who aren’t within arm’s reach have ventured too far. That means watching them, not checking your phone from the car.
• Never assume a lake or pond is safe for skating. The Canadian Paediatric Society says an adult should check the ice first.
• Younger children shouldn’t play outside alone, according to the Canadian Paediatric Society, and that matters most near water.
• Lifejacket over the snowsuit for any outing on natural ice, as the Lifesaving Society advises.
• Teach the rules early: stay off storm ponds, canals and the river; never go after a ball, a toy or a pet on the ice; and if a friend falls through, run for an adult and call 911.

Skate together at the City’s designated areas once they’re open, or at an indoor arena until then. It’s still a real winter outing, without the guesswork.

Sources

• Canadian Red Cross, Is that ice safe? (thickness for walking, group skating and snowmobiles; clear, white and grey ice; things that change thickness): redcross.ca
• Canadian Red Cross, What you need to know if you fall through the ice (self-rescue and helping others): redcross.ca
• Canadian Red Cross, Emergencies on the ice (rescue from shore; change out of wet clothing): redcross.ca
• Canadian Red Cross, Safety tips on and around ice (Manitoba, 2014) (calm your breathing first; head for shore, usually the way you came; if you can’t get out, keep still; thickness for small and larger groups): redcross.ca
• Canadian Red Cross, Five important facts about cold water exposure (gasping is natural; hypothermia takes time to set in): redcross.ca
• Lifesaving Society, Alberta and Northwest Territories Branch, Top ten ice safety tips (designated surfaces, supervising children, river ice, lifejackets, thickness for clear ice, white ice): lifesaving.org
• City of Lethbridge, Arenas and Skating (lake ice and outdoor skating status; weekly checks; storm ponds; ice fishing): lethbridge.ca
• City of Lethbridge, Ice safety reminder (December 2025: designated skating areas, storm ponds, the Oldman River, pets, helping someone who falls through): lethbridge.ca
• City of Lethbridge, Water Rescue Team warns of unstable ice hazards (February 2025): lethbridge.ca
• St. Mary River Irrigation District, Canal safety (steep, slick banks; cold, fast water; pets): smrid.com
• Strathmore Now, Canal skating axed for safety reasons (Western Irrigation District, December 2021): strathmorenow.com
• Canadian Paediatric Society, Caring for Kids, Winter safety: advice for parents and kids (checking ice; supervision): caringforkids.cps.ca