Dicey ice conditions prompt safety reminders and rink closures in Alberta

Many Albertans are heading outdoors amid the warm weather this holiday season, but it is prompting several warnings and reminders about the dangers around ice.

RCMP are again urging caution after another truck broke through the ice on Monday in Sylvan Lake.

Two other vehicles became submerged over the weekend, prompting a warning from Mounties to keep motorized vehicles off the ice.

"I would recommend vehicles not be out, especially on Sylvan Lake right now and anywhere in that area. There's obviously things going on, whether that's temperature or what have you, that's making the ice unsafe right now. Stay off the ice," said Cpl. Troy Savinkoff.

Ice Castle collapses at Lake Louise

A similar sinking situation in Lake Louise, where the always-popular ice castle has started to melt and sink into the water.

The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise said in a statement that conditions have been unable to sustain the ice castle due to the warm weather.

"The safety and well-being of all our patrons is of the utmost importance, and over the past several days our team closely monitored the situation and restricted access to this section of the natural skating rink. We continue to assess the conditions as part of our daily maintenance and protocols, and the rink currently remains open to guests and visitors for skating," the statement said.

"At this time—although we appreciate this is a popular sight for winter visitors of Lake Louise—no decisions have yet been made as to if it's possible to repair or replace the ice castle structure."

Parks Canada does not monitor all lakes for ice thickness in the park, so extra precautions are needed for those seeking out wild ice.

"If you want to go out, make sure that you're enjoying things safely, make sure that you're bringing some safety equipment with you—ice picks, throw rope, first-aid kits—and make sure to have your cellphone in case you need to call for help," said Madison LaLonde with the LifeSaving Society.

While the majority of drownings take place during summer months, LaLonde said there has been an increasing amount of drownings over the past several winters in Alberta and urges people to take precautions around all bodies of water.

Warm weather closes some city rinks

In Calgary, skaters are encouraged to stick to community and city-run rinks, which are dependent on colder weather.

The majority of city rinks were open Monday, with a few exceptions, including Barb Scott Park.

"The weather has been quite warm recently, and the rink at Barb Scott Park is quite exposed to the sun. However, we expect with the cooler weather in the forecast that it will be open for skating soon," the city said in a statement.

"Temperatures must be consistently between -7 and -12 to flood rinks, and we need a minimum of eight inches of ice to support maintenance equipment and be able to open. We also have microclimates within Calgary, so that means some of our outdoor rinks are open when others are closed."

The status of rinks can be found on the city’s website: https://www.calgary.ca/parks/activities/outdoor-skating-rinks.html.