It is that time of year when work begins on breaking up the ice on the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers. This odd looking ice-breaker is a floating excavator, designed to break up the thick ice on parts of the river to help prevent spring flooding. An old clip from 2014 explains the process and shows this breaker at work: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/breaking-the-ice-on-the-rideau-river-1.1761406

It is quite something to watch it in action.