Clear message at entrance to the boat launch – image courtesy  City of Prince George

Prince George, B.C. – While the ice remains stable on the Nechako River,  the City of Prince George reports  there are open channels of  swiftly flowing water and that some of the channels “appear to be widening.”

Monitoring  crews also report the Fraser River seems to be opening at the confluence and further down river.

While there haven’t been any  sightings of residents heading out onto the ice  in the past  day,  the City  will have a security  team  in place  on New Year’s Eve.

From  6 p.m. tomorrow night until noon New Year’s day, a security firm will be patrolling the length of the park and Heritage River Trail to try to dissuade holiday partiers from driving down to the river to celebrate. The measure is being undertaken in the interest of public safety and in the wake of a number of incidents involving residents walking out onto the river ice.

Cottonwood Island Park and the Heritage River Trail from the Cameron Street Bridge to Kiwanis Park remain closed to the public.

Regular patrols will monitor the river over the holiday long weekend.