Is the ice thick enough for you?
Many are answering yes. The ice huts are springing up throughout Callander Bay, and the skaters are hitting the ice, sticks in hands. Despite recent warnings from the OPP to be cautious on the ice, the lure of the lakes is too much to resist for many.
BayToday took in the scene from the shore of Callander Bay, and spoke to some anglers, who preferred not to have their names printed. They said the ice was about six-inches thick about one kilometer from shore, and they were getting enough bites to keep them out there for most of the day.
See: Ice may not be safe yet warns OPP
Most are setting up tents – much lighter than the wooden huts – and all there felt confident the ice would hold them up. There were no tracks visible from snowmobiles or four-wheelers, so it’s clear people remain cautious about weight loads.
No vehicles were on the ice, and no tracks indicated they had been. The Canadian Red Cross suggests the ice be at least 12 inches thick before taking a truck on it, and for snowmobiles, 8 inches should do. As for foot traffic, 6 inches is recommended for a single person, but for groups, the Red Cross suggests you hold out for eight.
See: Remember that truck that fell through the ice in Callander Bay?
“Everybody is anxious to get out on the lake,” Mayor Robb Noon said, “but we just want to make sure that they stay safe, and people ensure the ice is thick enough.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
