With the spring melt comes the annual reminder from the province: Those who live south of Highway 16 have until March 15th to remove their ice fishing shacks from the lakes and waterways of the province.

“Every year we see them out there,” explained conservation officer Kevin Harrison. “Sometimes people leave them too late, and they can’t get out on the ice, the ice is in bad condition to get out there, and they end up in the spring time getting washed ashore, and that can cause issues for boaters and even water intake lines for cabins and cottage owners.”

Those who don’t remove their shacks can be prosecuted, and the structure and contents taken off the ice by officials and confiscated.

Those who have shelters on the ice north of Highway 16 have until March 30th to remove the shelter.