With temperatures on the rise this week in Mississauga and across the Greater Toronto Area, the city is warning people to the potentially deadly danger of thin ice on bodies of water.

“Ice may look solid, but it is often thin and unpredictable. In Mississauga, shifting temperatures, deep water, hidden weak spots and changing water levels make lakes, ponds, rivers and creeks unstable in winter,” the City of Mississauga said in a post to social media on Wednesday.

Officials added that residents/parents should keep their children and pets “well away from frozen water and obey posted signs” in those areas. “Stay off the ice, even near the shoreline.”

If someone falls through ice, call 911 immediately, the city says. To report people on the ice, call 311.

The city says Mississauga firefighters are well trained in ice rescues every year, but it’s hoped their services are not needed.

“Ice rescue is a highly technical, time sensitive discipline that requires specialized equipment and skills,” officials say. “On any given day, five trained and equipped crews are ready to respond, and Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services attends approximately a dozen ice and water rescue emergencies each year.”

On Tuesday, Credit Valley Conservation, the organization that protects natural areas and watercourses in Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon and several other communities, issued a Water Safety Statement that’s to remain in effect through Sunday.

Melting snow brought about by warmer temperatures is expected to create potentially perilous conditions around streams, rivers and other bodies of water in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, the local conservation authority said.

“With forecasted warmer temperatures in the Credit River Watershed, snow melt will increase flows and water levels in low‑lying areas, ranging from approximately 100 mm in the upper watershed to 50 mm in the lower watershed,” CVC said on Tuesday.

Such official statements from the conservation authority are issued when high water flows, unsafe banks, melting ice or other factors are expected that could be dangerous for recreational users such as anglers,
canoeists, hikers, children and pets.

CVC also noted in its statement that “flooding is not expected.”


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