Ice not ready for the public

Times Reporter 

 

Despite all the snow and chilly temperatures over the last few months, the Town of Strathmore is still warning people to stay off the ice at Kinsmen Park. 

Jesse Parker, director of operations and engineering, said the ice this year is odd in the sense that there’s a thin layer of ice, a thin layer of water and then more ice underneath that. 

“The way ice thickness is rated is if there is a layer of water on a layer of ice you don’t count the ice that’s underneath that water because you don’t know how thick it is in its entirety,” said Parker. 

It’s recommended that the ice thickness be between 10 – 12 inches before allowing the public to skate on it, and some samples have been as low as eight inches. The town has had to err of the side of caution and has set signs up warning people to stay off the ice. 

“With it being an active storm pond we’re just not confident we want to invite the public out there in light of the water layer we’ve seen and the measurements we’ve had of eight inches,” said Parker. 

The ice at Grays Park is cleared off by Gray’s Limited. Parker said the town has not taken a sample of that pond, but said the depth is significantly less than what’s at Kinsmen Park.  

“If you were to break through on the lake at Pond 1 worst case it would be up to your waist. In Kinsmen you could be up to nine feet,” said Parker. 

The town will continue to monitor the ice thickness, and once they are confident it is safe they will clear the snow off of Kinsmen Lake.