54 FOCUS - MAY 2018 A century of‘Ice Out’ dates 1918.......April 16 1919.......April 5 1920.......April 3 1921.......March 21 1922.......April 10 1924.......April 12 1925.......April 3 1926.......April 10 1927.......April 15 1928.......April 12 1929.......April 1 1930.......April 18 1931.......April 16 1933.......April 6 1934.......April 21 1935.......April 10 1936.......April 25 1937.......April 12 1938.......March 31 1939.......April 2 1940.......April 26 1941.......April 13 1942.......April 5 1943.......April 24 1944.......April 22 1945.......March 27 1946.......March 27 1947.......April 22 1948.......April 7 1949.......April 6 1950.......April 18 1951.......April 8 1952.......April 10 1953.......March 23 1954.......April 12 1955.......April 9 1956.......April 25 1957.......April 2 1958.......April 11 1959.......April 19 1960.......April 21 1961.......April 20 1962.......April 15 1963.......April 11 1965*.....April 29 1966.......April 6 1967.......April 12 1968.......April 4 1969.......April 12 1970.......April 19 1971.......April 21 1972.......April 28 1973.......April 1 1974.......April 13 1975.......April 23 1976.......April 5 1977.......April 3 1978.......April 28 1979.......April 12 1980.......April 9 1981.......March 30 1982.......April 19 1983*.....March 16 1984.......April 14 1985.......April 15 1986.......April 1 1987.......April 6 1988.......April 4 1989.......April 12 1990.......April 13 1991.......April 1 1992.......April 14 1993.......April 18 1994.......April 16 1995.......March 28 1996.......April 19 1997.......April 1 1998.......March 31 1999.......March 31 2000.......March 21 2001.......April 11 2002.......March 18 2003.......March 18 2004.......April 4 2005.......April 16 2006.......April 3 2007.......April 4 2008.......April 15 2009..........April 1 2010..........March 27 2011..........April 10 2012*........March 15 2013.......... April 13 2014..........April 19 2015..........April 11 2016..........March 16 2017..........March 25 2018..........April 1 Latest: April 29, 1965 Earliest: March 15, 2012 Parts of Lake Scugog began giving up its icy grip on the lake in mid-March, but it wasn’t until the final days of the month that slowly warming tempera- tures took its toll of the ice and the official date for this year’s “ice out” will be recorded as *April 1, 2018. An article in a 1953 Port Perry Star newspaper reported,“the ice is considered out when it can’t be viewed by looking north from the end of the dock”. This is the method used for the past half century or more. But it was noted that in the early 1900s, the ice was considered out “when one could row across the lake to the Island and back”. This year, a stubborn patch of slushy ice held on to the right of the Queen St. wharf until the end of March, but had all but disappeared by April 1. For anyone interested, or perhaps keep records, we’ve published the list of dates the ice left Lake Scugog for the past 100 years. The official dates have been recorded as far back as 1872. As you will see in the listing below, highlighted in red, the earliest day the lake has ever given up its icy grip was during the spring of 2012, when it finally receded on March 15th. As for the latest date the ice disap- peared, that was more than six weeks later, on April 29, 1965. So there it is… everything you need to know about when the ice went out, at least until next year. By J. Peter Hvidsten for Focus on Scugog No April Fools! Lake Scugog sheds ice on April 1, 2018 * Note: Although ice did return to parts of Lake Scugog for a few days later in the month, the official date remains April 1, 2018. A century of‘Ice Out’ dates 1918.......April 16 1919.......April 5 1920.......April 3 1921.......March 21 1922.......April 10 1924.......April 12 1925.......April 3 1926.......April 10 1927.......April 15 1928.......April 12 1929.......April 1 1930.......April 18 1931.......April 16 1933.......April 6 1934.......April 21 1935.......April 10 1936.......April 25 1937.......April 12 1938.......March 31 1939.......April 2 1940.......April 26 1941.......April 13 1942.......April 5 1943.......April 24 1944.......April 22 1945.......March 27 1946.......March 27 1947.......April 22 1948.......April 7 1949.......April 6 1950.......April 18 1951.......April 8 1952.......April 10 1953.......March 23 1954.......April 12 1955.......April 9 1956.......April 25 1957.......April 2 1958.......April 11 1959.......April 19 1960.......April 21 1961.......April 20 1962.......April 15 1963.......April 11 1965*.....April 29 1966.......April 6 1967.......April 12 1968.......April 4 1969.......April 12 1970.......April 19 1971.......April 21 1972.......April 28 1973.......April 1 1974.......April 13 1975.......April 23 1976.......April 5 1977.......April 3 1978.......April 28 1979.......April 12 1980.......April 9 1981.......March 30 1982.......April 19 1983*.....March 16 1984.......April 14 1985.......April 15 1986.......April 1 1987.......April 6 1988.......April 4 1989.......April 12 1990.......April 13 1991.......April 1 1992.......April 14 1993.......April 18 1994.......April 16 1995.......March 28 1996.......April 19 1997.......April 1 1998.......March 31 1999.......March 31 2000.......March 21 2001.......April 11 2002.......March 18 2003.......March 18 2004.......April 4 2005.......April 16 2006.......April 3 2007.......April 4 2008.......April 15 2009..........April 1 2010..........March 27 2011..........April 10 2012*........March 15 2013.......... April 13 2014..........April 19 2015..........April 11 2016..........March 16 2017..........March 25 2018..........April 1 Latest: April 29, 1965 Earliest: March 15, 2012 Parts of Lake Scugog began giving up its icy grip on the lake in mid-March, but it wasn’t until the final days of the month that slowly warming tempera- tures took its toll of the ice and the official date for this year’s “ice out” will be recorded as *April 1, 2018. An article in a 1953 Port Perry Star newspaper reported,“the ice is considered out when it can’t be viewed by looking north from the end of the dock”. This is the method used for the past half century or more. But it was noted that in the early 1900s, the ice was considered out “when one could row across the lake to the Island and back”. This year, a stubborn patch of slushy ice held on to the right of the Queen St. wharf until the end of March, but had all but disappeared by April 1. For anyone interested, or perhaps keep records, we’ve published the list of dates the ice left Lake Scugog for the past 100 years. The official dates have been recorded as far back as 1872. As you will see in the listing below, highlighted in red, the earliest day the lake has ever given up its icy grip was during the spring of 2012, when it finally receded on March 15th. As for the latest date the ice disap- peared, that was more than six weeks later, on April 29, 1965. So there it is… everything you need to know about when the ice went out, at least until next year. By J. Peter Hvidsten for Focus on Scugog No April Fools! Lake Scugog sheds ice on April 1, 2018 * Note: Although ice did return to parts of Lake Scugog for a few days later in the month, the official date remains April 1, 2018.