Time running out to get ice huts off Lake Nipissing

Ice huts have to be off Lake Nipissing by March 31.

According to Callander Mayor Rob Noon, over 250 huts were on the bay this year and just one remains.

"Unfortunately, with the one that's still on there, it's sunk down into the ice a little bit, so the water has filled it up, so now you have to chisel it all out," said Noon.

"So it's going to be a little bit of a task to get it out."

Noon said there is an urgent need to get the hut off the lake now, as coming on and off the ice is getting harder and harder.

There's also consequences for people who don't take their shack off the lake.

"The Ministry will do something if they go through. We don't want any environmental impacts on our bay – we don't know what's in the shacks," said Noon.

"If it's just wood and that, it's not that bad, but still, you don't want that stuff in the lakes."

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On top of ice fishing season coming to an end for the year, snowmobile season has also been put on hold until next winter.

The North Bay Snowmobile Club closed all trails in the area Tuesday night.

"It becomes spring time, water starts to run, ponds start to open, ice gets pretty soft, so out of safety for everyone we closed the trails,” said Shawn Flindall, the director of marketing and public relations for the club.

"Everything south of Highway 17 line is closed, with a couple of exceptions. Everything north of highway 17 is still open – Cochrane, Kapuskasing and Hearst."

It was an officially 10-week season, according to Flindall, which he is calling a successful season.

"We ended up with 10 weeks of riding with the North Bay Snowmobile Club, which is average, so we're not upset with that given the late opening," he said.

"A really good year is a really good year, and a not-so-good year is seven, eight or nine weeks so 10 is pretty average."