Team Nova Scotia wins 2023 Winterlude ice-carving competition

Team Nova Scotia's "Dinner dance" by Ross Baisas and Antonio Baisas. (Canadian Heritage)

The votes are in and a pair of ice carvers representing Nova Scotia have won Winterlude's 2023 national ice-carving championship.

Teams of two carvers, each representing a province or territory, had 20 hours to sculpt 15 blocks of ice and create a work of art inspired by the theme “Creatures of the Sea,” a nod to the underwater life of Canada’s oceans.

Ice carvers were supposed to begin on Feb. 3, but their start was postponed by a day because of extreme cold.

This year's first place team of Ross and Antonio Baisas sculpted an octopus having a snack. Titled 'Dinner dance' the description on Winterlude's website says, "As graceful as it may seem in the eyes of some, the octopus remains a deadly predator."

The Baisas brothers earned top spots in the 2021 ice-carving competition as well.

In second place were Joel Palmer and Ryan Villiers of Team New Brunswick, with their sculpture titled 'The Mermaid of the Depths'.

"For centuries, stories of mermaids have haunted the dreams of sailors and those lost at sea. The Mermaid of the Depths gives us a glimpse into the unknown and mystical world of underwater creatures, as well as of the eerie faces hiding behind many legends," the description of the sculpture says.

Team New Brunswick's "The Mermaid of the Depths" by Joel Palmer and Ryan Villiers. (Canadian Heritage)

In third place, are Mowafak Nema and Ikuo Kanbayashi of Team Yukon and their sculpture called 'Sinbad and the Seahorse'.

"Our sculpture depicts a character from one of the Arabian Nights tales, Sinbad, riding a beloved sea creature, the seahorse," the sculptors say. "Together, they begin a new adventure, surrounded by seaweed, dolphins and jellyfish. The whole work expresses the beauty of underwater nature, not only of Canadian waters, but of all the oceans of the world."

Team Yukon's "Sinbad and the Seahorse" by Mowafak Nema and Ikuo Kanbayashi. (Canadian Heritage)

Monday was the final day of Winterlude. Canadians had 10 days to vote on their favourite sculptures to determine the winners.

"Congratulations to the winners! Through their talent and unparalleled expertise, all the carvers did an amazing job showcasing the beauty and skill of ice carving this year," Canadian Heritage said in a news release. 

The first place winners will receive $3,000, the second place team receives $2,000 and the third place team receives $1,000.

You can see all of the ice sculptures here.