During the week of Feb. 5 to 11 local OPP responded to 91 calls for service including 12 vehicle collisions with four of them involving deer and one involving a moose. They laid 12 criminal charges in relation to investigations on breach of probation harassment and threats. Nine RIDE programs were conducted.

On Feb. 8 at approximately 5:24 p.m. members of the Haliburton Highlands Ontario Provincial Police received a report of a possible impaired driver in a parking lot on Highway 118 at the intersection of Highway 35 in Minden Hills.

Officers attended the scene and located the suspect vehicle. Upon speaking with the driver the officers determined that he had been consuming alcohol. As a result of the investigation a 26-year-old man from Dysart et al has been charged with driving with too much alcohol in his blood and driving with an open container of liquor.

A 90-day driver’s licence suspension was issued and his vehicle was impounded for seven days.
The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Minden on March 7.

On Feb. 10 at approximately 8:47 p.m. police were conducting a Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) program on Kennisis Lake Road in Dysart et al.

A blue pickup truck entered the RIDE spot check and an officer spoke to the driver and determined that he had been consuming alcohol. A roadside test was completed which resulted in a warn range suspension. This resulted in an automatic three-day licence suspension for a 61-year-old man from Dysart et al.

The OPP is warning the public to exercise extreme caution near any bodies of water that have ice on them after officers investigated three incidents in Haliburton County that resulted in a total of 12 people falling through thin ice. In all three incidents none of the individuals was wearing a floater suit or carrying an ice pick.

Remember that what appears to be frozen could in fact be ice that is not capable of supporting any weight at all. Ice safety can be affected by many factors including thickness currents age of the ice pressure cracks and snow cover.

Check ice conditions. The Lifesaving Society recommends a minimum ice thickness of 10 cm (four inches) for a single person to walk ice fish or cross-country ski on.

Avoid vehicle travel on ice.

Never go onto the ice alone. A buddy may be able to rescue you or go for help if necessary.

Having the proper equipment such as a floater suit ice picks a throw line GPS and/or cellphone are extremely important should you break through the ice surface. Responding emergency services do take time to ready and get on scene and do come at a cost as there is always a risk of injury or worse to emergency responders who may never forget the incident.

Do not drink alcohol or consume other drugs. Alcohol/drugs impair judgement and reduce your body’s ability to stay warm in cold conditions.

Almost all recreational activities involve some risk. Haliburton Highlands OPP want to remind everyone that no ice is safe ice and to know before you go and consider the risks to yourself and others should you venture out on frozen surfaces.