Skating on frozen lake

Photo: Henry Widdows

Frozen Okanagan Lake was a big draw for Penticton residents on Saturday.

People figure skated, played hockey or just walked out as far as they could on the ice.

'We are here to skate because the ice is perfect and this has never happened since we moved here," said Barb Main, who was there with friends and family.

Local historian Randy Manuel said the lakes, both Skaha and Okanagan, tend to freeze over when you get two to three nights of no wind combined with cold temperatures.

Manuel estimated Skaha has probably frozen 50 to 60 times in the last 100 years, because it is such a small body of water.

When Okanagan Lake freezes in the South Okanagan it is typically from Three Mile Beach to Penticton.

Manuel estimated this happens once every 10 years or more. In the past, he said, there were times the lake was so frozen, they had to use dynamite to free barges.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said the city doesn't have a formal policy when it comes to skating on the ice.

He advised that people should be cautious as it is sometimes difficult to gauge the thickness of the ice or if there are underwater currents or anything else undermining the thickness or integrity of the ice.

"Okanagan Lake doesn't freeze over often," he said. "We don't typically get these long cold spells either. It's ironic that climate change is from global warming."