Provinces and Territories · Drawing 36 of 42
The ice road
Northwest Territories
In winter, roads are built across frozen lakes in the Northwest Territories. Trucks drive slowly so they don’t make waves under the ice.
Look together
What do you think the truck is carrying?
An idea to try
In a shallow dish of water, push a small floating block slowly, then quickly, and watch the waves. Explain why vehicles go slowly on ice.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Each year, the Government of the Northwest Territories builds and maintains about 1,400 km of winter and ice roads across frozen lakes, rivers and land. Usually open from December to April, they link nine remote communities and bring in fuel, dry goods and building materials that would otherwise have to be flown in at much higher cost. Crews clear snow so the ice grows thicker, measure it with ground-penetrating radar and pump lake water onto the surface to add layers.
Driving too fast can create waves under the ice that lead to cracks, especially near shore. Explain to your child that experts build and check these roads, and that no one goes onto a frozen lake or river without an adult who knows the ice is safe.
Sources and context (1)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- Government of the Northwest Territories, Infrastructure — Winter DrivingTemporary snow and ice routes across frozen lakes, rivers and overland trails; nine remote communities; typically open December to April; deliveries of fuel, dry goods and construction material that would otherwise be airlifted at much higher cost; about 1,400 km built each year; snow clearing, ground-penetrating radar, flooding; speeding creates waves under the ice and cracks, especially near shorelines.
Source review: 2026-09-24. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.