Even experienced ice fishermen can plunge through ice on the Ottawa River because there are no reliable maps showing the ice thickness, strength and possible hot spots, according to experts who know the river.
Jocelyn Bélanger was such an experienced riverman, and he died taking a chance in trying to drag a fishing hut off the river on Monday evening when his truck broke through and took him with it.
Ottawa Riverkeeper executive director Meredith Brown says ice conditions change constantly, making it difficult to know where the ice is safe for vehicles.
“It is pretty complicated and studies focus on ice jams that can threaten power dams,” Brown said Wednesday. “Safety is always indicated by ice thickness: how much you need to skate or drive a truck.
“There are no maps that tell people where the ice is likely to be thin because it changes so quickly with the conditions. The only way to know is to drill a hole and measure the ice thickness.”
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources requires fishermen to remove their huts from the river by March 15 because that is when the ice typically becomes weaker. Violators face fines ranging from $150 to $25,000.
The ministry warns that ice is often thicker near the shore and safer than ice farther out.
“Not all ice is created equal,” a ministry bulletin reads. “Ice that has formed over flowing water, springs, pressure cracks, old ice holes or around the mouths of rivers and streams can be weaker than surrounding ice.
“Clear blue ice is the strongest. White or opaque ice is much weaker. At least 20 centimetres (eight inches) of clear blue ice is required for snowmobiles and 30 centimetres (12 inches) or more is needed for most light vehicles. This thickness should be doubled if the ice is white or opaque.”
Yves Grandmaitre, the owner of Oziles, a marina near Petrie Island where 120 fishing huts were located until last weekend, said Bélanger drowned after his truck broke through 30 centimetres of spongy white ice on Monday.
All but two of the huts were removed during the weekend because above-zero weather is forecast all week.
Grandmaitre said the ice may have been weakened by water flowing from Cardinal Creek that carried road salt from Highway 174.
“We rely on guys who have been fishing on the ice for 30 years and on our own observations from drilling holes almost every day,” Grandmaitre said. “There is a creek that goes under Highway 174 that empties into the river near the southern point of Petrie Island. The creek introduces warm water and salt into the river, and that starts to soften up the ice.”
Grandmaitre said the ice where Bélanger’s truck went through into the river had been considered safe for most of the winter. He said there were no problems earlier this winter, when pickup trucks and huts with combined weight of three tonnes to four tonnes were used on the ice.
Ottawa Fire Chief John deHooge urged people to stay off the ice.
“Don’t let your kid, don’t let your pets, don’t let your family go on the ice,” he said.
“Certainly, being put in this situation, to go out on the ice to recover pets or people, puts an unnecessary risk on our personnel. Anyone going on the ice after a pet right now if putting themselves at significant risk.”
Although provincial regulations require ice huts in the Ottawa region to be removed by March 15, this year’s early melt means it’s already too late to tow the huts off the ice by truck, said Supt. Charles Bordeleau of the Ottawa Police Service.
“Wait till spring to go and recover it with a boat,” Bordeleau advised.