Ottawa teen fined $125 for trespassing while skating on frozen stormwater pond

A typical weekend for Eric Ledain means a little homework, then some hockey on the beaver pond in Kanata.

But on Sunday, the teen got an unpleasant surprise. While he was skating on the ice with his dog, an Ottawa Bylaw officer asked him to leave, then gave him a $125 ticket for trespassing.

“It’s an absurd ticket and I don’t know why they would be shutting down such a nice place,” Ledain said. “It’s a great place for the community, and it’s a place where family and friends can have lots of fun and bond together.”

The Beaver Pond in Kanata Lakes has been a gathering place for the community for decades. Neighbours say before amalgamation, the old city of Kanata maintained a skating surface on the pond, even having coloured flags indicating ice conditions.

Once the new city of Ottawa stopped maintaining it the community came together and started looking after it themselves.

Duro Oravsky, one of the volunteers who looks after the ice, says they clear and flood the ice regularly and check its thickness. This weekend it was 24 inches thick, he said.

"There’s about 10 core guys that come out here and help out," Oravsky said. “Our own kids skate out here, so we want to make sure everything is safe.”

However, there is a large sign warning people to stay off the ice. Roger Chapman, the city's director of bylaw and regulatory services, said the ice is not safe and Ottawa Bylaw has received complaints about the pond being used.

As a result, they have stepped up enforcement of city park bylaws. Chapman says they have been issuing warnings to people and are now handing out tickets.

“This is not your typical backyard pond. This is actually a stormwater pond,” Chapman said. “The thickness of the ice can change quickly because of the flow of the water under the ice.”

In an email sent to the Ledain family, Cathy Curry, the area city councillor, said in part: "At beaches and swimming areas there are signs that say swim at your own risk or attention no lifeguards on duty. I will ask Bylaw staff if there is the option to change the signs."

Eric’s dad Timon Ledain is frustrated by all of this. He says so much green space in the area has been lost to development, and he hopes spaces like this are not lost to the community.

“We are your citizens. Work with us find a way to meet halfway to make sure we are collaborating together so that this can be enjoyed safely for everyone,” Ledain said.

"I honestly thought: is it April 1st? It’s just frustrating to see my tax dollars being use to give teenagers a ticket for enjoying an outdoor activity."