Rising temperatures are prompting the provincial government to warn people about potentially hazardous ice conditions on rivers, lakes and drainage canals throughout Manitoba.
Ice that looks normal may no longer be thick enough to support heavy objects such as snowmobiles and other vehicles and frozen waterways should not be used for skiing, sledding or snowmobiling, the province says, with people living near water being asked to be careful to prevent children and pets from wandering out onto ice.
Manitoba Sustainable Development says ice fishing shacks should already have been removed from the Red River and that shelters in the rest of the province’s south should be removed by the last day of the month. Ice fishing shacks can remain on the ice until April 15 in the northwest, north central and northeast divisions unless a conservation officer asks for them to be removed for safety reasons.