Breaking the ice
Icebreaking operations will commence next week, an annual project undertaken by the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure marine vessels can move safely through the St. Lawrence Seaway as winter ice melts.
The operation involves a specialized Canadian Coast Guard ship traveling through the St. Lawrence River to break down large planes of ice. During the process, cracks can travel much further than is initially visible, which means that the ice near shorelines and open areas could be unstable even if it looks safe.
The icebreaker ship travels very quickly, and community members may see a helicopter flying above, which often travels ahead of the ship to check that the path is clear.
Further updates are forthcoming about the exact time of the operations, but community members must stay off the ice, and remember that once the icebreaking process is complete, the remaining ice will begin to melt quickly.
Ice movement can occur quickly and unexpectedly, and the community should be wary anywhere near the water.
Any community members who have ice huts or equipment on the ice are asked to bring them back to shore before next week to avoid them being lost during the operation.
