With the temperature swinging from freezing to thawing so much this year, the ice out at Buffalo Pound Provincial Park has begun to warp and heave. The heavy ice chucks have adhered to the boat launch, pushing the cement pads up and out of the lake.

Park manager Dave Bjarnason says that there hasn't been any damage to the launch so far but that they've had to close it to the public.

"Right now, [the ice] has pushed the pads up so that they've buckled. That's part of the reason why there's connecters in the cement and brackets to allow for that to happen. Unfortunately with everything being frozen, it's best to just leave it and let it settle. If we tried to push it back now, we could do more damage to it."

In the meantime, you can still access the lake for some ice fishing, but you'll want a vehicle with higher clearance to make it down the bank.

"I would strongly recommend having, at the very least, a truck or something with some clearance. It was nice having the boat launch in play because it's a smoother surface and a gradual descent onto the ice."

Bjarnason says they hope to reposition the pads once the spring thaw comes in time for the fishing season. Renovations will also begin this spring to bring the Upper Chalet back into use as the new information centre for the park.