Trapped in the ice: Water leak traps Calgary's family car in mini glacier
Last week, Nicolle Atherton and her son parked their cars outside their northeast Calgary home like they do every evening.
The road was basically dry, but it was a cold night.
When she went to her car the next morning, she couldn’t believe what she saw.
“Our cars were literally frozen in deep, thick ice,” said Atherton. “When I came out to go to work it was ginormous.
“I was, like, ‘Oh my god, where did all this water come from?’”
Of course, by the time Atherton discovered the water, it had already frozen into a 20-centimetre thick slab of ice.
Upon investigation, it likely came from a broken pipe in the back alley west of where she and her son parked. The city says it is working to determine if the leak is from one of its pipes, or from one on a private residence.
Atherton managed to get her car pulled out, but her son’s VW Rabbit remains stuck.
Meanwhile, the water continues to flow under the sheet of ice, freezing even on warm days. That means, the ice holding the car in place is getting thicker and thicker.
She called a tow truck company but when they arrived, they refused to even try and free the car.
“They have to come in and put tow bars underneath the car, lift the front end of the car up, and tow it out. They can’t because of the ice that’s in front of the vehicle,” said Atherton. “They don’t want to damage the vehicle.”
After Atherton called the city’s 311 line to complain about the water, a city crew showed up and chipped a small path for water to flow to a storm drain. Atherton says that quickly froze back over.
Wednesday, city crews showed up once again, chipping a new conduit through the ice but they did not go near the trapped car with their tools for fear of damaging it.
A frustrated Atherton worries the car is being damaged, with parts crushed like a boat trapped in an ice floe. The trapped vehicle has hampered her son’s ability to get to work, and she’s not sure when the family will be able to free the vehicle
“We keep joking about it like, spring thaw?” said Atherton, adding, “… that’s really crappy.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.