It is February and that means that Winterlude is on. From February 4 to 21 the Capital celebrates winter and all that you can do with it. The skateway is open all the way, and the snow kingdom is open.
Last weekend was the ice sculpting competition at Confederation Park. Sunday was too grey to go photograph ice sculptures, so we did not even try it. This weekend they are calling for possible above freezing temperatures, so detail may be lost if I wait to go see them. Confederation park is only a few blocks from my office, and it was pretty cold but nice and sunny today. So I put the extra sweater I keep at work on under my coat, and made my way to the park.
There were some major changes to the sculptures this year. Some were made of ice and other materials. At the entrance to the park there was also a tepee and a Mongolian yurt. I stuck my head in the tepee and the floor was covered with spruce branches. it smelled like a Christmas tree stand.
Tepee with the Lord Elgin hotel in the background.
Mongolian yurt. Inside there was some furniture painted like the door.
In an effort to preserve the sculptures for the entire Winterlude festival, some were covered with tarps, to keep the sun off during the day, but this lovely detailed piece was the first sculpture that wasn't.
The dragons and the pearl.
The sculptures are really set up to be seen at night, and led lights were installed at the base of most of them. A large group of sculptures were on display under a roofed gallery. Likely also to protect them from the sun, and have them last longer. in past years they were just scattered around the park.
Spider lady
School of fish
Mermaids and fish.
Detail of a Veteran's Affairs sponsored tribute to women in the military.
Sculptor at work with his electric chainsaw.
There was music playing from a setup in the center. Among other things Great Big Sea with I's the b'y, and Ashley MacIsaac's Sleepy Maggy. Definitely an east coast theme to the music. And there was the heavenly smell of ribs, poutine and beaver tails. (No I didn't! A white winter coat combined with finger foods and big fat mittens is a disaster waiting to happen. A safe and boring lunch once back at the office, thank you.)
The "food court".
Old fashioned maple taffy stand
The sculptures look magnificent after dark all lit up by the coloured light. This photographer posted some gorgeous shots on flickr. Have a look at them, if you have the time. Some of the pieces really only work in the dark. I did not have the determination to stay down town late, when it is even colder to take (or ask "my" photographer to take) these pictures myself.
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