Record cold leads to record ice for Ontario
Ice on all the Great Lakes will likely lead to delays in moving cargo, Thunder Bay port official says
It's been a month for the history books with extreme temperatures across Ontario, which has led to record ice coverage on the Great Lakes and its tributaries.
The arctic air that's settled over much of Canada this February has had a huge impact on Lake Superior. The Canadian Ice Service Agency said on the big lake was almost completely ice-covered a few days ago. A week ago it was 87 per cent ice covered.
"It's as close to 100 per cent as it can get," said Denis Dube, who speaks for the ice service.
"We would put it at 100 per cent if the whole lake would freeze over and the ice would stop moving, but that would be really bad news. That would never happen or, if it did happen, it would be another ice age or something."
Last year, the lake was frozen over in mid-February, he noted. During an average winter the lake would be 36 per cent ice-covered at this time of year.
Struggle ahead
The CEO of the Thunder Bay Port Authority said heavy ice cover on the Great Lakes may create what he calls "another struggle" at the opening of this year's shipping season.
Last year, the port of Thunder Bay opened late due to thick ice on Superior, and in the harbour. There are already plans in the works to manage the situation this season.
"They are looking again this year to bring in a Canadian Arctic Ice Breaker — like we had last year — into the system,for the opening. Those kind of requests usually indicate heavy ice conditions, so people are starting to prepare for that," Heney said.
"There is likely going to be some delays quite likely. We are 3,300 kilometres inland, so there is a lot of system to open up before you get here. It's not just Lake Superior that causes the issue."
Lake Erie is almost entirely covered in ice, and the water spray from Niagara Falls is creating a spectacle, as can been seen in the CBC News video above.