Docks, boat houses pulverized by shifting ice

Ice damages docks and boat houses Shifting ice on Lake Simcoe is causing damage to docks and boat houses. CTV Barrie's Roger Klein has a closer look.

Some residents living on Lake Simcoe say damage caused by shifting ice is unlike anything they’ve seen before.

Pat Gunn-Crane has lived on the northeast end of the lake for many years. Docks on her neighbours’ properties have been pushed up almost 45 degrees because of the ice.

“It’s something we have never experienced. Damage, yes every single year, but not to this degree. It’s devastating,” she says.

Pushed by the wind, the ice started moving around last week. Since then it’s been slowly pulverizing docks, decks and boat houses along the shoreline.

Rick Pember of Rick’s Handyman Services has been adding up the damage at the seasonal cottages that he maintains. He says repairs will be in the tens of thousands of dollars in some cases.

“When something like this is going on I check; I notify my customers if there are issues and they can decide if they want to deal with it or what they want to do,” he says.

A satellite image taken on Sunday afternoon shows Lake Simcoe still largely covered in ice. Property owners fear the worst is yet to come.

“When the flows start to happen and the wind comes to shore, it’s going to create further damage. Who knows, it could take the boat house down completely at that time,” says Gunn-Crane.

The ice is still more than 30 centimetres thick in several places, but many hope warm weather and rain will help melt it before the wind has a chance to push the ice farther ashore.