Ice booms being removed

[Cornwall]: Ontario Power Generation wishes to advise hunters, anglers and recreational boaters on the St. Lawrence River that ice booms will be removed from narrow stretches of the river between March 16 and 29, 2011.

These booms, which were placed in the river off Galop Island, in the North Channel, near Johnstown and at Prescott last November, are chain-and-wood devices used to prevent the build-up of ice during the winter. They ensured an even freeze on the river, helping to improve power generation during the winter months.

All users of the river should take extra care in the narrow reaches where the work is being undertaken to remove the booms.

Ice booms are placed in the same narrow reaches of the St. Lawrence River each November and removed in the Spring when the ice has melted, before the St. Lawrence Seaway shipping season commences.

Ontario Power Generation would like to remind boaters to take every precaution around its dams and generating stations, and to practice safety on Ontario’s waterways.