With the constantly changing temperatures, ice surface in Airdrie can become dangerous and skaters need to be aware of how thick the ice is and where is safe to skate.

Archie Lang, Manager of Parks and Public Works, says the only places in Airdrie you should be skating while outside are designated by the city.

"We have five boarded rinks and we have four snow banked rinks and three natural ice rinks. Those are the ones we recommend that people go on and we don't recommend that you take a shortcut or do any skating on any storm pond areas at all."

Lang says the easiest and safest way to check the ice is just to go to the city's website.

"At least once a week, park staff go around and on the three natural ice rinks, obviously there's water under that ice, at Nose Creek Pond, the Waterstone on Nose Creek, and at Summerhill on Nose Creek (and check the ice). If you look on the city website and you look up outdoor rinks it will come up to a page and if you scroll down that page it will actually tell you what the thickness is right now of the ice."

Lang says currently that the ice is safe enough to skate on.

"Right now at Waterstone and at Summerhill there's15 inches of ice and that certainly enough to support our equipment that plows the snow on it so it will be more than enough to support a skater."

When the ice gets too thin, make sure to avoid skating on it. Lang says there is a simple rule of thumb.

"Anything under 11 to 12 inches is getting a little bit dicey, certainly for the equipment. A good rule of thumb for the three natural ice rinks, if it isn't plowed, then don't try to skate on it. If it's plowed, then it's safe."

 

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