Security on the Ice at Petrie Island
In the old days, the ice fishing huts of Petrie Island were a hotspot for petty criminals. Break-ins, thefts and vandalism were common each season. In 2004, a few ice fishing hut owners in Baitshop Bay came together to form the Petrie Island Ice Fishermen's Association with one of the association's purposes being on-ice security. In the years that followed, on-ice security issues dropped drastically as we learned to watch out for each other and share information on security issues. In recent years, security alerts have dropped to almost zero with the aid of Oziles security cameras and regular nightly patrols on the ice by PIIFA members.
Even with all our security measures in place, we remind everyone to remain vigilant at all time. Report any security issues to the bait shop or the police, and please let us know by talking to us or sending us an email.
Ice Fishing Huts Security Tips
- Never leave anything of value in your hut overnight.
- Ensure that all doors and windows are locked before leaving your hut after a day of ice fishing.
- Neighbors change each season, make yourself known to them and introduce yourself. Nosey neighbors are the best for keeping crime down!
- Notify your neighbors if you plan to sleep in your hut overnight.
- Watch and listen for suspicious vehicles or groups of people in the evening and overnight hours.
- Watch and listen for suspicious activity or sounds in the evening and overnight hours.
- Report any obvious suspicious activity to the police immediately.
- Consider buying a portable battery operated door or window alarm for your hut. Canadian Tire sells a variety of models that are very inexpensive and effective.
- Consider upgrading the doors, windows and locks of your hut in the off season.
Ice Fishing Hut Fire Safety
- Never leave candles or other open flames burning unattended.
- Ventilate your hut when using a woodstove. A poorly maintained wood stove or chimney can leak causing dangerous fumes.
- Avoid burning trash and painted or treated wood. These can cause serious and harmful fumes even with proper ventilation.
- Ensure that fires in fireplaces and woodstoves are extinguished before leaving your hut after a day of ice fishing.
- Perform yearly check-up and maintenance of your woodstove or fireplace in the off-season.
- For your safety, fires of any kind are not permitted in the off-season ice fishing hut storage area.
