This year marks the third time in as many years that the Innisfail Dodds Oval Ice Race will not be held in the community due to poor ice conditions.
This year marks the third time in as many years that the Innisfail Dodds Oval Ice Race will not be held in the community due to poor ice conditions.
According to organizer Laurie Anne Benko, the ice on Dodds Lake is too thin to support the spectators, cars and heavy equipment involved with running the motorsport event, and it will be held at Gull Lake starting Saturday, Jan. 26 at noon instead.
"It's not thickening up," she said, noting 10 inches of snow added insulation and outflows from town wastewater were two obstacles to necessary ice growth. "In order to keep the race running I have to move it."
Safe ice thickness starts at 22 inches and on Jan. 16 Dodds Lake was only at 15 inches.
"It wasn't even close," she said, noting the thickness of ice at Gull Lake has been gauged at 20 inches. "Dodds Lake just never seems to freeze enough."
Moving the event will mean hospitality vendors will miss out on bookings, she said.
"I could have filled the hotels," she said
Over 150 riders and 1,000 people were expected for the ice race.
The event runs until 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and again noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Jan. 27.
