Teens On Thin Ice In Listowel

(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) On the weekend, Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers in Listowel were called to the Elma Street West Bridge between Boyne Ave S. and Victoria Ave S., in response to teens on the ice of the Maitland River tributary.

The concerned citizen called police due to the thin ice conditions on the creek. The 5 youths in their mid-teens were located by police and were given warnings about the unsafe ice conditions. They were also warned to stay away from the ice.

The Perth County OPP receives numerous calls about children playing on thin ice during this time of year. The Maitland River in Listowel, the Whirl Creek and Thames in Mitchell, the Trout Creek and the Thames River in St.Marys and the Nith River and the Smith Creek in Perth East are all locations where officers have been called in previous years for children playing on thin ice.

The Perth County OPP has not received calls about people breaking through ice on local bodies of water but with the current warm temperatures this could easily occur. Water currents in the local rivers are starting to flow more rapidly making for unpredictable ice conditions and large areas of open water. With the increasing snow melt local high water alerts are also in effect.

Parents are urged to talk to their children about ice safety and the dangers of playing near or on bodies of water.

Let’s enjoy a safe March Break, “Stay away from thin ice”.

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