Ice has formed on many lakes across the province, but with fluctuating temperatures, the quality of ice is still in question. 

Chair of the Killarney Lake Action Committee, Betty Sawatzky, cautions everyone who is venturing out on the Killarney Lake to be safe, especially where there is open water directly above the aeration field, but also in the area around it.  Of the ten lines that are open throughout the warmer months, eight are turned off so that the two lines running adjacent to the shoreline continue to blow bubbles, adding oxygen to the water for fish health, and to continue the efforts to reduce the growth of blue-green algae in the summer months.  

Ideally, if all ten lines were to remain open the aeration field may have greater effect in keeping the blue-green algae in check during the summer months. However, there is too much open water at that end of the lake with all lines open, so the consensus of the committee and town council was to keep the two lines adjacent to the shore running through the winter, to continue aeration with keeping safety in mind.

"Yes, the aeration field system still creates open water, even when the two remaining lines have been dialed down for winter," says Sawatzky, "and we caution everyone to just stay away from the aeration field area near the water treatment plant as there is moving water under the ice, and we have no way of knowing how thick the ice is in relation to the underwater current."

"When it’s safe for our guys to go out on the ice to install the poles with safety flashers and signage we’ll do that, so until then everyone has got to be very careful when out walking or driving on the ice."

"Every year we see folks getting too close to the open water and propping up their ice fishing tents there, and so we want to caution everyone, at all times throughout the winter season to respect the quality of ice and the underwater current which compromises the integrity of the ice.

"The other thing to add is we don't want to put any of our Fire Department and Search and Rescue people in any kind of danger because someone wants to risk venturing out on their own.  It seems like every year we hear of someone who drives out on Pelican Lake and breaks through the ice.  They don't realize they're endangering the lives of the guys who are trying to rescue them because it forces the rescue team to engage in a dangerous situation."

"Let's all be smart and keep everyone safe," she adds.

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