Whitby Fire Chief Dave Speed Reminds Residents to Stay Off Ice At Stormwater Ponds

Residents are reminded to stay off the ice at stormwater ponds (also known as retention ponds). These are not intended for recreational uses, like skating.

To help explain why, Whitby Fire and Emergency Services Chief Dave Speed issued the following statement:

“This year more than ever, we’ve seen an increase in the number of residents skating and playing on the Town’s 40 plus stormwater management ponds. These ponds can be found throughout Whitby neighbourhoods and are designed to collect runoff from the local storm sewer system. They temporarily hold water, provide treatment to remove pollutants and then slowly release the water back into the natural waterway. They are not designed for recreational use, like skating and they are never safe to  play on.

With the constant flow of water under the ice these ponds never fully freeze, no matter how cold it gets. Due to their function, water levels in these ponds often experience rapid change due to rain and snow melt making ice unstable. Road salt runoff also weakens the ice. Should you fall in, even if you know how to swim, hypothermia sets in quickly and you can easily get trapped underwater in weeds and debris.

Please, I urge you to talk to your family and children about why it’s so important to stay off the ice at stormwater ponds. Whitby Fire does not want to have to respond to an ice water rescue where someone is trapped under the ice. Remember, that no ice, is safe ice. Stay safe, Whitby.”

View this message in a video from Fire Chief Dave Speed.

For more tips on stormwater pond safety, visit whitby.ca/stormwater.