In Canada, drownings can happen year-round, but the majority of cases (73 per cent) occurred during warmer months (May through September), according to Health Canada.
Skaters have been spotted on water bodies like Grenadier Pond in High Park, where skating is not allowed. Officials warn cold temperatures do not mean safe ice.
Many rinks and ice surfaces across the country are already in operation, but the latest cold snap could bring skaters to rivers and ponds. However, ice can be deceiving.
There are renewed warnings about the dangers of venturing onto thin ice or near bodies of water after multiple incidents where people have drowned in lakes and rivers across Canada over the past week.
An Edmonton man who died with his wife and eight-year-old son after their utility terrain vehicle went into a lake wasn't the kind of person to put his family at risk, says a friend.