Larry MacFarlane and his team continue to work away at ice blocks near the National War Memorial, turning ice into art.
“We’re building a memorial for the 1998 snowstorm that hit the eastern region of Canada,” said MacFarlane, referring to the ice storm that caused massive damage and left millions of Canadians without power in the middle of winter 25 years ago.
It's just one of the many ice sculptures you'll see at this year's Winterlude Festival, now in its 45th year. The popular winter festival returns with in-person activities for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MacFarlane, who came to Ottawa from Winnipeg, is also set to compete in the Ice Carving Championship this weekend on Sparks Street.
“It’s wonderful, I’ve been coming here for many years,” said MacFarlane, “I missed it last year because it was virtual. It wasn’t the same as seeing all the guys, all the competitors.”
Back for the festival is Snowflake Kingdom at Gatineau's Jacques Cartier Park. People of all ages are invited to slide down the snow slides, eat Beavertails and see the snow sculptures illuminated at night.
“Winterlude is an opportunity for visitors and people in the region to experience the joys of a Canadian winter,” said Canadian Heritage Capital Celebrations Director Melanie Brault.
In the heart of downtown Ottawa, restaurants like the Metropolitan Brasserie are also preparing to welcome the crowds.
“We’re seeing an uptick in reservations coming up this weekend,” said managing partner Sarah Chown. “In terms of staffing levels we’ll up our number in how many people are working.”
Those looking to skate on the famous Rideau Canal will have to wait, as recent warmer weather has kept the skateway closed. The delayed opening already led to the cancellation of the ice dragon boat festival.
Colder temperatures are on the way and the NCC says work continues to build the thickness of the ice. Officials are still warning people not to venture out onto the canal.
Winterlude runs from Feb. 3 to 20.
The Liberal MP who allegedly benefitted from Chinese election interference is speaking out against the report, categorically stating the foreign government did not help him in his nomination campaign.
According to new data released by Uber on Tuesday, Ottawa has the worst average rider rating in the country, followed by Toronto and Montreal.
An Idaho hospital has announced that it will no longer be able to deliver babies because the state’s near-total abortion ban — one of the most extreme in the U.S. — has driven so many doctors away.
China on Wednesday said President Xi Jinping's just-concluded visit to Russia was a 'journey of friendship, co-operation and peace,' and again criticized Washington for providing military support to Ukraine.
One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, a nearly complete 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible, could soon be yours -- for a cool US$30 million.
The Senate adjourned early on Tuesday afternoon after a foul smell in the building caused headaches in the chamber and disrupted proceedings.
The first day of Nordstrom's liquidation sale began on Tuesday, but some shoppers walked away underwhelmed, as most items were only marked down five per cent.
The Liberal MP who allegedly benefitted from Chinese election interference is speaking out against the report, food prices remain high across the country and some shoppers walked away underwhelmed by the discounts at Nordstrom's liquidation sale. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
President Joe Biden's administration is not dismissing out of hand the idea of renegotiating the bilateral 2004 treaty that governs the flow of asylum seekers across its northern border, says Canada's ambassador to the U.S.
A 15-year-old is facing a number of charges, including attempted murder, after two staff members were stabbed at a high school in Bedford, N.S., Monday morning.
The Transportation Board of Canada is to release a report Wednesday on its investigation into the sinking of a scallop dragger off Nova Scotia more than two years ago.
Controversial comments and social media activity from some P.E.I. Progressive Conservative candidates, including leader Dennis King, caught up with the Tories on the election trail this week, turning up the heat in what has been an otherwise quiet campaign.
An Ontario couple's trip to India was cut short over an issue with their visa documents.
Police have arrested two men following a triple shooting at a popular Toronto mall that left one person dead Monday afternoon.
The Farmers' Almanac has released its 2023 summer forecast, and, according to the long-range forecaster, Ontario could be in for some 'hot and soggy' summer months.
Montreal police confirmed Tuesday evening that a second body has been recovered from the building in Old Montreal that was destroyed by a fire last week.
As the search for victims of a five-alarm fire in Old Montreal stretched into its fifth day on Tuesday, friends and family members are getting frustrated with the pace of the investigation and lack of answers.
A Canadian city has just been named the worst in the country for bed bugs for the third year in a row.
The Farmers' Almanac has released its 2023 summer forecast, and, according to the long-range forecaster, Ontario could be in for some 'hot and soggy' summer months.
Doug Ford said a misunderstanding with a barber led to the shortest haircut he's ever had.
London police have released more photos of a man wanted in connection to a random stabbing. The suspect is described as a dark-skinned man, waring a black hat, dark sweater or coat, tight dark-coloured jeans, black boots and a white medical mask.
London, Ont. city councillors want more information and more opportunities for public input before making a final decision about the future of Thames Pool.
Some drivers in London, Ont.’s west end are raising concerns about a pair of shining digital billboards recently installed on a rail overpass.
Frustrated and left with few options – that's how many Winnipeg parents were feeling Tuesday after they couldn't get their kids into swimming lessons.
A Winnipeg business owner is reminding others to be careful online after her social media accounts were hacked over the weekend.
Several nurses working in a department at a Winnipeg hospital that provides examinations for victims of sexual assault have resigned for their positions, leaving the department short-staffed.
The second day of the inquest into a fatal police shooting saw a number of people who knew 20-year-old Beau Baker leading up to his death testify, including with the police officer who shot him.
One Kitchener city councillor described a decision from Tuesday night’s meeting as one of the hardest he has had to make in his 12 years at city hall.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) says its officers laid 232 charges and arrested 18 people in connection to the large St. Patrick’s Day street party in Waterloo’s university district.
Last month, Dr. Michael Yang, a spine surgeon at Foothills Medical Centre, performed a discectomy to remove the damaged part of a herniated disc in the spine, on a patient who was wide awake.
Students and community members will gather in protest outside the Calgary Board of Education Centre Tuesday morning, calling for the removal of the Sir John A. Macdonald name from a northwest junior high school.
The City of Calgary says potholes are everywhere and crews are busy trying to keep up with demand to fill them.
The long awaited 2023-24 provincial budget will be unveiled in the Legislature on Wednesday afternoon, outlining the government’s taxation and spending plans for next year.
A Nipawin doctor has been charged with unprofessional conduct after pleading guilty to criminally harassing his ex-girlfriend.
Saskatchewan RCMP say a 45-year-old man in the Maidstone area is "at high risk to breach conditions involving youth."
Edmonton Valley Zoo is making improvements to Lucy the elephant's enclosure and routine to accommodate her for the long term after international experts did not agree she was fit to be relocated.
A Spruce Grove first responder artist created a series of portraits in memory of the pair of Edmonton Police Service constables killed in the line of duty last week.
Hockey, snow and big shopping malls are some of his favourite things so Nick Bjugstad was gushing Tuesday when talking about his new home in the Alberta capital.
The owner of a vintage furniture store in Vancouver’s Chinatown is warning about a Facebook Marketplace scammer who’s asking buyers for deposits and taking off with the cash.
An 18-year-old who got kicked out of the SZA concert in Vancouver on Sunday is pushing back against claims by Rogers Arena that he was removed after being repeatedly asked to stop dancing in the aisles.
Concerns are being raised that a probe into potential interference by China in Canadian elections could lead to more anti-Asian racism.
The long awaited 2023-24 provincial budget will be unveiled in the Legislature on Wednesday afternoon, outlining the government’s taxation and spending plans for next year.
Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) said police and STARS Air Ambulance were on the scene of a crash along Highway 6 south of Regina Tuesday morning.
Regina was ranked as the second most affordable city for first time home buyers, according to a study conducted by real estate firm Edmonton Homes.
