JUST ADD WATER
Tina Gessey, lead person City of Regina Parks department, floods the Joanne Goulet outdoor rink on Tuesday. With a high today of -12 C, the freeze is on.
In the wake of the second major snowfall of the season, a new interactive map detailing which pedestrian pathways are being regularly cleared of snow has been launched by the City of Regina.
The map is a way to inform residents which pathways are accessible and give them an opportunity to explore new areas of the city, Ray Morgan, director of parks and open space, said at a media event Tuesday morning.
According to Morgan, 88 kilometres of pathways are maintained, which is approximately 60 per cent of the city’s pathways.
“We do have some citizens out there that do small narrow pathways where we may not be able to get to.
“That’s very appreciated, but unfortunately we just can’t cover everything,” said Morgan. “We maintain a certain portion of the pathways because that’s what our budgets will allow.”
Morgan said removal on those pathways begins within 24 to 72 hours of snowfall and critical pathways like multi-use trails and pathways near major centres and schools are prioritized.
The map can be accessed at www. regina.ca/pathways and, based on a colour coding system, indicates which pathways are either cleared, partially cleared or not cleared at all.
The map also has a “near me” function, which allows users to enter an address and a distance in kilometres to find a pathway near them.
In addition to the new map, the city also emphasized the need for safety as the winter season progresses and residents may be tempted to play or walk on ice surfaces like culverts, creeks and lakes.
“We are seeing residents ... who are clearing the ice surfaces in some of our recreational areas for skating for their children,” said Angela Prawzick, public education officer for Regina Fire and Protective Services. “Please parents, don’t do that. That is far too dangerous.”
She said even though we’ve had some cold whether, and the ice looks solid, insulating snow and running water underneath the surface is weakening the ice.
The water and ice rescue team was called out just last month after a man was found on the banks of a pond in A.E. Wilson Park.
“The paramedics from emergency medical services were able to treat him on scene before transporting him to hospital,” said Prawzick.
But she said he was so hypothermic it was extremely difficult to get information about what had happened. They don’t know for sure, but she said it appeared that someone may have gone through the ice nearby.
Prawzick said the fire department typically gets a few calls a year for ice-related incidents.
Last year, a puppy almost died after it got away from its owner and fell through some ice at the very same park.
A dog was rescued after a similar incident in Swift Current just last week.
“The same thing can happen to a child,” said Prawzick. “It’s just not worth it. Stay away from the ice.”
She said the only places to safely play on an ice surface outside, is at a designated outdoor skating rink maintained by the city.
Regina has 23 boarded rinks and 38 non-boarded rinks. As of Tuesday morning, the city was in the midst of flooding the rinks.
“Right now we’re asking people to refrain from walking on and skating on the rinks because it’s not quite ready yet,” warned Morgan. He said it takes about 10-14 days for a rink to be ready once flooding occurs.
To see if a rink is ready for public use, visit www.regina.ca/rinks.