The Airdrie RCMP and Airdrie Fire Department are issuing a joint warning to Airdronians.  

They say anyone going out onto bodies of water in the city is, quite literally, walking on thin ice.

In spite of what the weather may be like this weekend, Airdrie has finally started to see some warmer temperatures recently and that means that ice on ponds, creeks, and canals is starting to deteriorate.

"We are coming into spring here, we hope," says Airdrie RCMP Constable Dan Martin, "and with that comes melting ice, melting snow, puddles that attract children and we're just asking that parents have that chat with their children about safety on the ice and around water.

The Police and Fire Department warn that stormwater ponds and natural waterways are unpredictable and dangerous due to their varying depths and size.  They can also contain chemicals and substances like salt and silt that is common to these waterways and canals that affect how the ice freezes.

With the fluctuating temperatures we're experiencing, ice can weaken even as it retains its thickness.

Martin says it's also extremely important for pet owners to make sure they['re kept on a leash.

"Animals can get stuck out on the ice as well.  They can fall through and before you know it somebody's jumping in to try and rescue them and we may have another tragedy on our hands.  We always encourage people to keep their animals on leash, as our bylaws indicate."

Martin finishes by summing up the thoughts of both the Airdrie RCMP and the Airdrie Fire Department.  "We're just hoping we have a really safe spring." 

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