Toonik Tyme!

Since my initial visit here in 2000, I have vowed to return for Toonik Tyme. Now it's time! These photos are of the events which I attended this week. I took several pictures of the ice sculpting competition entrants, however without any contrast they were difficult to capture. This one is of a man building an inukshuk.

The next event was the igloo building contest. There were five contestants and I focused on two. Here a man cuts the bricks of snow with a saw. The rectangular hole he creates will serve as the entrance to the structure. I must note that the wind was howling and getting stronger as the hour advanced. Each man worked without hurry but steadily to the finish. Interestingly each igloo had it's own distinct characteristics and the builders each had their own way of constructing the igloo. Once inside the igloo, one of the children remarked; "hey it's not windy in here"! It was snug and cozy with a built in ledge to sit on. This ledge was the remaining snow surrounding the space which was cut away in bricks. Quite ingenious, I thought, and say what you like about the Romans and domes, and arches, they never perfected the domed domicile!

This is Jordan whom shared the igloo with me and allowed me to take his picture, in turn, he took mine! Getting in and out of the igloo you must crawl in on your belly, and my jeans got soaked! All for a good cause, it's an igloo!

Later I attended outdoor games, people of all ages competed in the plank race and tug of war. The plank race must be the ultimate group sport where co operation wins the day.