April 9, 2014 - Montreal, Quebec
The Canadian Coast Guard in partnership with the United States Coast Guard and the Ontario Provincial Police, is advising residents and visitors that spring icebreaking operations will start on or around April 13, 2014, in Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.
An icebreaker will make its way into Georgian Bay, for Sunday, April 13 and will proceed with icebreaking operations in Owen Sound, Midland and Whitefish River areas.
The order in which operations are conducted may vary. Operations may also be extended to other areas in Georgian Bay as required.
It is expected that icebreaking activity will be ongoing throughout the week of
April 13 – 20, 2014, in Georgian Bay.
Dates and routes are subject to change with little or no notice due to operational requirements or sudden and significant changes to weather and ice conditions.
The 2013-2014 winter has produced unusually heavy and persistent ice conditions throughout the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Canadian Coast Guard crews and icebreakers have been working hard to provide icebreaking services during such a challenging time.
The Canadian Coast Guard strongly recommends that fishermen and snowmobilers and other recreational users leave the ice immediately if they see an icebreaker in the vicinity. The ice may move or break apart even at a significant distance, creating a hazard for anyone in the area of an icebreaker. All personal property, temporary structures and recreational equipment, should also be moved to shore well before these dates.
Quick Facts
- Icebreaking operations and shipping traffic create fragmented ice or open water that may be: difficult to see from afar; may be obscured by newly fallen snow; may not refreeze immediately and may be further weakened due to changes in weather.
- Icebreaking creates locally unstable ice conditions or open water that may persist long after ships have left the area.
- All ice near icebreaking operations and shipping activity should be considered unsafe.
- Canadian Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard assets in the Great Lakes are working hard together to maintain or open routes for maritime commerce, despite extreme and persistent ice conditions on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.