Stay off lakes in Yellowknife, Whitehorse: fire departments

The fire chief in Yellowknife is warning people to stay off the lakes in the area until officials have confirmed their ice isthe right thickness.

Darcy Hernblad says people should keep off until the ice is at least six inches thick.

Right now, only Rat Lake and Frame Lake,close to City Hall,are more than five inches thick, while the rest of the lakes around the city are still sitting between 2.5 and 4.5 inches.

Hernblad says sometimes people get on a lake where the ice is relatively thick, but don't realize it's not the same thickness throughout.

"So you can have four or five inches near the shore, and to some people they think, 'Oh, that's good enough to be out on,' and sure enough it might support them," Hernblad said.

"But then if you go a little bit further, it's down to a couple inches and then that's where somebody breaks through."

Some people in Yellowknife had their snowmobiles on the lake last weekend, and at least one person was walking across Frame Lake this week.

Hernblad says it's just too early.

"You know, that sends a wrong message especially to young kids and stuff because if they see other people out there and especially if it's adultsand they see them out on the ice, they go, 'Oh, it's probably OKfor us too then.'"

Members of the Great Slave Snowmobile Association started measuring the ice last week.

Hernblad expects some lakes to be ready soon perhaps as soon as this week but says he won't know until the association takes the measurements this weekend.

The new measurements will be posted here on Monday.

Whitehorse fire department offers safety tips

The fire department in Whitehorse was also warning people this week to stay off the ice on lakes until at least December.

BarryBlisnerwith the Whitehorse Fire Department recommendsavoiding the ice any fast-moving waterways altogether, even in the dead of winter.

"The Yukon River itself and especially near the bridge where the ice jam by the SS Klondike is, is one area that is really dangerous," he said.

"And we just tell people, don't even go out there because we get ice jams and things like that where the ice doesn't freeze uniformly."

He said if you do fall through the ice, try to keep calm.

"Generally speaking, you have about 10 minutes or so before your fingers and your legsreally start to be inhibited by the water. And we tell people, if you fall in, try to get out at a different spot,because wherever you fell in is probably bad ice."

He said the best way to help someone who has fallen inis to throw them a rope or a long branch, but don't try to grab them.He also saiddogs who fall through can usually get out of the water on their own.