Don't be tempted to walk or skate on the ice of town storm retention ponds or even rivers and creeks. Simply put, they're life-threatening.

Jeff Avery, of the Cochrane Fire Services, says warning signs have now been posted at all storm retention ponds in town. They are extremely hazardous because of their inconsistent nature.

"I know every time kids see ice, they think it's just automatically safe to go play on," says Avery, "But that's not the case, not with storm retention ponds."

It's dirty, salty water, he says.

"It freezes differently. There are different kinds of ice layers and void spaces in it. It's just not a strong ice, so we want everybody to stay off."

"You just never know what you're going find when you're walking on storm retention ponds."

That warning extends to rivers and creeks.

For those wanting to enjoy some outdoor skating, there are two approved locations in town, he notes. 

People can skate at the Mitford Pond or the Tim Bannister Memorial Rink.

"Other than that, nobody should be on the ponds, or the rivers, or anything like that," he says.

If conditions aren't ideal, even the Mitford pond is subject to closure, he says. The depth of the ice is tested regularly by Cochrane's Parks department.

Recently, a town tractor cleaning the ice fell through near the shore of the pond. Fortunately, no one was hurt.