LAC LA BICHE - John Kokotilo, Lac La Biche County’s Regional Fire Chief is concerned that outdoor enthusiasts may not be as quick to get off the frozen surfaces of area lakes this year, due to an unusually short season on the ice.
Even as temperatures rise, and ice-thickness drops, some winter recreation-seekers may be tempted to stretch out an unusually short winter season.
Kokotilo hopes common sense prevails instead.
Due to above seasonal temperatures to start the winter season, most ice surfaces didn’t have enough ice coverage for winter activities until after the Christmas holidays — so ice fishing and other seasonal activities on local water bodies got off to a very late start.
“This is the latest that I have witnessed in several years,” said Kokotilo, who is also the manager of the municipality’s fire and policing services.
He says the days leading up to the end of March are normally when officials in the region sound the alarm for ice safety, coinciding with the end of the winter ice fishing season.
Ice fishing season officially ends on March 31, with provincial legislation mandating that all fishing shacks must be removed from public water bodies by the same date.
Kokotilo says the end of March is a good time to wrap up all ice-related recreation, not just ice fishing.
“Usually this more or less spells the end of vehicle travel on our local lakes and water bodies,” he told Lakeland This Week.
He is hoping people don’t push their luck on the ice, trying to prolong the season to make up for the late start.
As unseasonable weather patterns continue across the region, with temperatures in mid-March hitting double digits above zero, Kokotilo says ice-safety is at the forefront of the local Protective Services daily checklist.
Over the next few days leading up to the end of the month, Kokotilo says municipal officials will continue to monitor area lakes, taking ice thickness reports from residents and municipal staff.
While most lakes were covered with more than two feet of solid ice over the last two months, the warm weather can change the thickness and strength of the ice “dramatically,” Kokotilo warned.
