Thompson warns of thin ice cause by ‘increased Hydro flows’

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Increased flows from Manitoba Hydro are making ice conditions in some areas of northern Manitoba abnormally and dangerously thin, the City of Thompson said, and they’re urging extreme caution on several waterways this winter.

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“Following the Jan. 1 rescue of two people whose snowmobile went through the ice on the Burntwood River, Thompson Fire & Emergency Services is reminding residents that the river ice is unpredictable and dangerously thin in places, and presents a risk to anyone who ventures onto it,” reads a City of Thompson bulletin posted online Monday.

The bulletin stated the unusually thin ice this winter is due to Manitoba Hydro.

“Due to extremely dry conditions across the Churchill River basin this year, Manitoba Hydro stored water in Southern Indian Lake during the summer and fall of 2024 for use during the winter,” the city said.

“Over the months of December and January, Manitoba Hydro has increased flows through the Notigi Control Structure from around 17,000 cubic feet per second, to 24,000 cubic feet per second.

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In December, Manitoba Hydro issued a Waterway Travel Advisory for the Burntwood River and Threepoint, Footprint and Birch Tree lakes for the winter season, and advised “extreme caution” in and around those waterways.

The city said the increased flows through now-frozen lakes and rivers can create hazardous ice conditions, including thin ice, open water areas and slush.

“Be careful near riverbanks in the winter, as they will be icy and slippery,” the city added. “Keep your pet on a leash at all times when walking the trails along the Burntwood River.”

The warning comes after two people were rescued in northern Manitoba after their snowmobile fell through river ice in frigid temperatures on New Year’s Day.

According to RCMP, officers responded to a call last Wednesday just after 9 p.m., and found a 20-year-old man and 16-year-old girl stranded on pieces of ice on the Burntwood River, more than six metres from the shore.

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Their snowmobile was partially submerged, and the temperature was -21 C at the time of the incident, and RCMP say the man had fallen into the river when he tried walking on the ice, but was able to pull himself up.

Officers threw their jackets to the pair and a raft was brought in to bring them to the shore. They were both taken to hospital as a precaution and later released.

“This was a very dangerous and challenging rescue given the freezing temperatures and time of night it occurred,” RCMP Supt. Paul Peddle, district commander of northern Manitoba said in a press release after the pair was rescued.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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