NORTH BAY -- With the ending of the ice fishing season upon us and with recent warm weather, emergency response officials are asking the public to stay away from frozen bodies of water and to pack up and remove ice huts from lakes.
This comes as two vehicles on Lake Nipissing fell through the ice over the weekend and cannot be removed at this time.
As spring and warmer weather approaches, it makes for unstable ice conditions.
It was a slow ice fishing season for many this year, according to Reed’s Outdoor Adventure Ice Fishing owner Yves Perreault, and he said as the season winds down, it's time to clean up before all the ice melts away.
"About two kilometres out, about four days ago, there was a huge pressure crack. It's time to get them off," Perreault said.
Over the weekend, two vehicles, a Ford F-250 truck and a car, fell through the weak ice into the frigid water of Lake Nipissing. No one was hurt in either case.
"(For) both vehicles, all the occupants were safely extracted," said Callander Fire Chief Todd Daley. "But what it results in is two vehicles in the lake contaminating the lake."
Both vehicles are going to have to remain in the water until at least spring because it is not safe to pull them out of the lake at this time.
Daley said the vehicle's owners will likely be billed for the fire department’s removal services.
"No one knew if there were any occupants in the vehicle and we had to walk out there," Daley said. "There's a cost to doing ice rescue when there's not an emergency."
All ice huts have to be off the lake by March 31. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is reminding the public that it is an offence under the Public Lands Act to leave your ice hut out after the ice breaks up, regardless of removal dates.
"The maximum penalty under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act is $25,000, to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or to both," said MNRF spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski.
Fire officials are urging anglers to get their ice huts off lakes sooner rather than later with the anticipation of warmer weather around the bend.
"With the weather conditions and the mild spell we had last week, we look at the snowpack right now. It considerably reduced in one week," Daley said. "So there's lots of melts and water going into the lake."
As for Perreault, he knows it’s time to start getting his shacks off the lake as soon as possible.
"As of the afternoon, I am starting to pull my huts off," he said. "I know people still had fun out there for sure."
Fire officials are also asking people to stay away from rivers and creeks, and away from banks as more water flow will increase as part of the spring melt.
