Yellowknife (Oct 20/04) - Firefighter Craig Halifax stands by the side of Frame Lake, hand shielding his eyes from the sun as he searches for a man who was reported walking on the lake's thin ice.

"This is the second call today," he says, "and we had two yesterday as well. It's that time of year again."

Firefighter Adam Catcher is dressed to save. His ice rescue suit will keep him warm, dry, and is sufficiently buoyant to support him and a person clinging to him. - Alex Glancy/NNSL photo

As the temperature drops and the lakes and waterways around Yellowknife become encased in their winter's ice, the fire department is again tasked with keeping Yellowknifers safe on dry land until freeze-up occurs.

"It shouldn't be a big deal for people to wait two or three weeks for the lakes to freeze," said deputy fire chief Clem St. Croix.

"Check in with the pros and find out what the conditions are like. It's too late when you're up to your neck in cold water and ice cubes."

The fire department takes regular measurements of ice thickness at 19 locations within city limits.

The results are posted on the YKFD Web site.

Measurement will begin this week or next, said St. Croix.

The department also has bare minimum safety recommendations for ice thickness. Four inches is the minimum for foot traffic, and six is recommended for snowmobiles and ATVs.

Eight to 12 inches is required for cars and small trucks, and 12 to 15 inches for light duty trucks.

No ice is totally safe

The official line from the fire department remains that no ice is safe, said St. Croix.

"We can't measure everything, so you can't be sure."

St. Croix said that the most important thing is simply to prepare, and research the area where you'll be travelling.

Lakes freeze unevenly or not at all depending on water movement and conditions in the lake or lake bed that generate heat.

For instance, "there's an area in Wool Bay that I'm amazed no one has ever driven into because it doesn't freeze, ever," said St. Croix.

Hikers and snowmobilers are also cautioned to beware of lakes outside city limits, because no one tests ice thickness on them.

Killer activity

"A couple of years ago on one of the lakes off the Ingraham Trail there was a snowmobile that went through the ice, and we had a deceased person as a result," said St. Croix.

All Yellowknife firefighters are trained in ice rescue. The department has special suits designed to keep the rescuer warm, dry, and buoyant, even if they are unconscious or have a victim clinging to them.

There hasn't been a real ice rescue in years, said St. Croix, just training exercises and helping people off the ice before it breaks.

"That's a good thing, and we attribute that to being proactive and pushing safety on the ice," he said.

The YKFD distributes "Clumsy the Clown" safety pamphlets to schools, and some contain information on ice safety. St. Croix adds that often the adults are more reckless on the ice than kids.

Ultimately, said St. Croix, "we're not putting out information for the sake of it. It's safety, and it's safety for big people and little people.

"Work with us: we're giving you a fair estimate of the conditions in Yellowknife."

Firefighter Halifax didn't find anyone out on Frame Lake, but the ice was visibly weak and thin.

Moments before, deputy fire chief Darcy Hernblad had been called out to Jackfish Lake to speak to a man seen walking his dog on a body of water that, due to heat from the substation, doesn't even freeze properly.

"It's that time of year again."