Coast Guard to perform icebreaking ops in Midland area, ice users warned

The CCGS Vincent Massey performs night icebreaking operations.

The OPP and Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) are advising that icebreaking operations are set to be performed in the waters of Southern Georgian Bay this week.

According to the CCG, the CCGS Vincent Massey icebreaker is expected to arrive in the region sometime around Tuesday. The Georgian Bay shores from Methodist Point to the Midland Harbour, plus Giants Tomb Island and Beausoleil Island are expected to be impacted.

The OPP and CCG urge all traffic on the ice, including pedestrians, anglers, snowmobilers and ATV’s, to leave the ice during the operation.

“Plan activities carefully and use extreme caution after operations are complete as the ice will remain unstable even once the icebreaker has left the area,” said Cont. Aaron Coulter from Southern Georgian Bay OPP in a Sunday news release. “Remember, no ice is safe ice.”

The OPP and CCG add that dates and times are subject to change without notice depending on operational requirements or weather conditions.

According to VesselFinder, the CCGS Vincent Massey was positioned at the south end of the St Clair River early Sunday evening, heading in the direction of Sarnia.