Shown are some of the highlights from this year's Wintertainment event. Artist Patricia Leguen (top right) with her snow sculpture and city senior galleries assistant Lynn Stace (bottom right) poses with the ice lantern display. (North Battleford Galleries/Facebook)

By Angela Brown

More people attending

Wintertainment sees strong turnout for 2022

Mar 4, 2022 | 1:14 PM

The numbers are in for this year’s City of North Battleford Wintertainment with organizers reporting another successful year.

Leah Garven is one of the city’s Parks and Recreation team members involved in the week-long event that wrapped up Feb. 24.

“It always goes ahead rain or shine, snow or ice, but it was a lot more comfortable this year,” she said. “We were more cautious with our planning of outdoor activities. But all in all we were very happy with the turnout from the community, and the success of it.”

The organizing committee met March 3 to give a report on the event tally.

“The first day at the Battlefords Co-op Aquatic Centre, they had 300 people come out to check out the new inflatable at the pool,” Garven said, adding that organizers hadn’t seen so many people out in a long time during the COVID-19 situation, so it was good to have such a big response.

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The NATIONSWEST Field House also had a couple of hundred people attend one day to take part in activities.

As well, about 150 people turned out to take part in various art activities in the city.

Among the highlights of Wintertainment were sculpture artist Patricia Leguen’s creation of the snow carving, entitled “Every Child Matters,” to honour the children who survived or were lost to residential schools. The piece, which can be seen outside the Allen Sapp Gallery in North Battleford, includes 22 hand prints set around the outside of the sculpture.

“[The artist] has always been very passionate and considerate towards Indigenous issues,” Garven said. “I think she was very motivated, and that is her way of expression.”

The project also received a positive response from the community with many passersby stopping to take it in.

A total of 35 area residents were involved in creating ice lanterns at the Credit Union CUplex’s Rotary Plaza outside the NATIONSWEST Field House.

“The ice lanterns are a tricky activity,” Garven said. “There are a lot of variables and factors to consider to make it successful…They ended up very beautiful. We’re super pleased about the end-product. I’m hoping maybe we can do some other larger community projects in the future.”

She said the entire Wintertainment event went ahead as planned this year which was good to see. And the weather was warmer than last year to make it more comfortable for participants.

“It was nice given the last couple of years we have had with COVID [restrictions], having to adjust things,” she added.

The city didn’t have as many outdoor activities this year for the event simply due to logistics, but Garven said organizers are looking at having more activities in the year ahead.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow