Carnival Fun Cancelled When Frosty Turns Frigid

FROSTY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10^th

MANITOUWADGE, ON – Friday, February 10th, Frosty Days activities planned at Kiwissa Ski Centre had to be cancelled when temperatures refused to go much higher than -20°C.  The frigid temps held and Opening Ceremonies which were scheduled to be held outside and planned to include the traditional Torch Run, where skiers and snowboarders travel down the main run in the dark (lift lights off) with only headlamps to guide their way, unveiling of an oval rink and speeches from dignitaries in attendance were brought into the chalet or cancelled for those activities unable to be re-created outside.  Though the chalet was quite crowded, attendance numbers were very much down from previous years likely due, said organizers, to the extreme cold.

No doubt many more would have attended, had they known who was being recognized as Citizen of the Year 2011.  Father, Grandfather, volunteer and until very recently, the business owner to whom schools, non-profits and sports teams most often turned when looking for support whether in the form of donations, time or in-store collections; Mark Gorges.  Before presenting him with a plaque recognizing his efforts and contributions, Community Services Programmer Shawna Patterson cited many situations in which Mark showed his community spirit, not least of these his volunteerism with Manitouwadge Minor Hockey or his support of Community Clean-up Day.  Of course many of us grew up enjoying community barbecues at “Rendez-Vous Days” which, when accepting his award, Mark remembered fondly mentioning also the contributions of Gary and Maggie Dorion who had also been part of this for many years.

After accepting his award and being congratulated by Mayor John MacEachern and Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha, (both men had also addressed those gathered to praise Gorges’ contributions and wish everyone a great Frosty Days), Mark Gorges, with his wife Kelly, daughters Becky and Jenny and his grandson Caleb, patiently posed for photographs.  Master of Ceremonies Ed Hedderson (Kiwissa Ski Club President) once again took the mic to wind up the opening, reminding everyone in attendance of the Big Air Rail Jam which had originally been on the evening’s schedule as organizer Devan Pelletier had planned a presentation though this too had been cancelled to to weather.

The 2012 Frosty Days Opening Ceremonies were a success in spite of the added challenge of dealing with the weather which perhaps had been a blessing in disguise as notably missing outside were the Oval Rink and Snow Stage which had been promoted in the Township’s Frosty Days Forecaster. Rec Director Dan Deschamps explained to OntarioNewsNorth.com that the associated costs of these  man hours, equipment use and, for the stage at least, snow making were elements he felt important to review for future years, and that these items had been included on the carnival schedule by a somewhat over-enthusiastic staff member.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11^th

From 1-2pm; Vanessa Wastila-Courtemanche, Owner Happily Ever Crafter, held a free carnival craft for kids of all ages.  Unlike during the regular crafting classes at HEC, many parents stayed for the hour of crafting to join in the fun of making “Love Bugs” with their kids. Courtemanche had all the necessary supplies ready for each child as well as a variety of paint colours for the kids to choose from to personalize their creations.  Everyone who attended had a great time and most of the artists were heard asking parents about when they would next return for crafting fun at Happily Ever Crafter, If you’d like to learn more about classes for kids and adults, visit the Happily Ever Crafter facebook page where you will find contact information and details of upcoming courses Vanessa has planned.

Also downtown, the ‘Open Market’ which Barb St-Pierre has been coordinating at the old Cow Palace location since December (2011), a variety of businesses were once again welcoming customers, among them home-based businesses as well as those offering hand-made goods.

Meanwhile, the Golden Age Club was welcoming visitors for a “Warm-up”.  GAC volunteers worked hard in the kitchen to keep up with demand as their Toonie for a Hot Dog/Refreshment/Cookie deal drew in many friendly faces.  While on a ‘bun run’ (there were many more visitors then expected and the kitchen temporarily ran out of buns) GAC President Paul Gareau even went to the Recreation Centre to invite those playing in and cheering on the Manitouwadge Minor Hockey Association Tournament!  “It’s great to see so many people out enjoying Frosty Days and we’re happy to have them make the Golden Age Centre one of their stops during this busy afternoon” said Gareau who told us nearly 100 hot dogs were sold!

At 2pm the Kiwissa Ski Club hosted ski and snowboard races for all ages.  More than 20 competitors faced a slalom course challenging themselves and their friends they were on the clock for cash prizes.  Skier Rob Scapinello opened the door to other adults having a chance at the win when he ate snow, wiping out but thankfully, not seriously injuring himself.  After everyone had posted their time, competitors and spectators re-grouped inside the chalet where nearly $200 in cash prizes was distributed to the top 3 in each category.

KIWISSA SKI & SNOWBOARD FROSTY DAYS 2012 RACE RESULTS

SKIERS 7 yrs & Under

1. Avery Schutt 118.94
2. Jake Gervais 122.72

SKIERS 8 – 11 yrs                      |     SNOWBOARDERS 8 – 11 yrs

1. Alanna Zawadski 45.03   |     1. Jeff Baril 55.09
2. Jeremy Gervais 45.87      |     2. Skylar Heliski 55.84
3. Felicity Oliviera 48.82

SKIERS 12 – 17 yrs                   |    SNOWBOARDERS 12 – 17 yrs

1.  Jeremy Newton 35.94     |       1. Daniel Gilman 49.56
2. Jesse Gervais 38.34           |       2. Chelsea Malakoff  55.06
3. Nathan Keough 38.50      |       3. Tristan Oliviera  105.52

SKIERS 18+ yrs                         |    SNOWBOARDERS 18+ yrs

1. Ed Hedderson 43.48           |       1. Devan Pelletier 39.94
2. Linda Hedderson 44.58     |       2. Kirk Tourout 43.74
3. Sheldon Plummer 46.19

Late Saturday evening, the Catholic Women’s Society wound up a great day with their Spaghetti Supper fundraiser for which tickets had been sold in advance.  A full house of nearly 200 hungry attendees chose between meat, vegetarian or spicy sauce which was accompanied by salad, a bun, refreshments and desert.  A beautiful basket with wine, candles and other special gifts was drawn as a door prize and won by **.  THe CWS ladies thanked all their volunteers and the 175 ticket holders for their support. Fundraisers like this one are very important as they play a large role in ensuring the Parish’s building, heat and maintenance costs are covered.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12^th

Sunday, With temperatures finally warming up a bit, outdoor events were much more well attended on the final day of Manitouwadge’s 2012 winter carnival. At Kiwissa Ski Centre, the Manitouwadge High School Athletic Association hosted it’s annual cardboard box races with a large crowd in attendance brave artists raced the cardboard sliders they had created. Meanwhile the Northern Trails Cross-Country Ski Club had 1/2 price skiing to encourage regulards and new users to enjoy the trails in honour of Frosty Days (remember, the club has rentals available in MANY sizes).

Thank you to ALL the volunteers who worked to make Frosty Days 2012 a success, check out our YouTube Channel to see video and interviews related to Frosty Days (or check back here a bit later).

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Posted in Community Events, Environment, Festivals, Manitouwadge/Marathon, Mantha's Notes from the Park, Municipal, Northern Ontario Headlines, Northern Ontario Tourism, Regional, Sports, Travel, video post | Comments Off on Carnival Fun Cancelled When Frosty Turns Frigid

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