There is still a little ice left over from High on Ice and we don't want to see it go to waste!  An ice carving workshop will be held on February 11, 2012 from 9 am to 4 pm at Centennial Park.  Join instructors Jesse Forrester and Sonja Butts for a day of fun and find out how the pros make those amazing sculptures.  No previous experience is necessary.  The deadline for registration is February 9.  The fee is $25 per person and lunch will be provided.

For more information, view the attached registration information or contact Ice & Snow Coordinator, Jocelyn Schick at 250-793-0272 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Fort St. John Community Arts Council is pleased to announce the winners from the 8th Annual High On Ice Festival.

Carving events took place by professional and amateur carvers from January 13 to 15 in Centennial Park. The theme was ‘Forces of Nature’– which proved fitting after Fort St. John experienced weekend temperatures of -38 with windchill!

And the competition winners are…

Amateur Ice Carving

Media Challenge: Alaska Highway News "Owl"

Mayors Challenge: District of Taylor

Intermediate Competition:

 1st – Meadow River (Angela Lamothe, Dave Lamothe, Sarah Conkin, Nathan Conkin)

 2nd – Joie De Vivre (Suzon Anne Tremblay, Laurie Petrucci, Nicola Hedges)

 3rd – Ice Breakers (Andrew Blaney, Charity Blaney)

Professional Ice Carving

Single Block:

 1st – Dean Murray USA

 2nd – Chris Foltz USA

 3rd – Ilya Filimontsev RUSSIA

Team Abstract:

 1st – Ilya Filimontsev RUSSIA "Melodies of the Wind"

 2nd – Peter Vogelaar & Carl Schlichting CANADA "The Higgs Boson"

 3rd – John McKinnon & Denis Kleine CANADA "A Windy Day in the Park"

Team Realistic:

 1st – Dean Murray & Chris Foltz USA "Shhhhh...Calming the Fire"

 2nd – David David Ducharme & Jesse Forrester CANADA "The Chase"

 3rd – Woojay Poynter & Benjamin Rosenbaum USA "Rise of the New Year"

Thanks to all the volunteers, the competition was a huge success! The sculptures will remain in Centennial Park until they melt – so there is still time for families to come out, enjoy the displays, and have fun on the family ice slides!  

For the second year in a row, professional and amateur ice carvers are braving bitter cold to produce the sculptures that always seem to rise above the weather conditions and amaze all of us who are brave enough to walk through the park on a day like this.  The competition started with perfect carving conditions on Friday evening, but it was too good to last and the rest of the weekend promises to be a stern test for the artists.  One has to admire their toughness and perseverence as, again for the second consecutive year, the Ice Carving competition is the only High on Ice event left standing in the face of truly horrible winter conditions.  Let's at least make the Fort St. John welcome warm for these talented visitors; make at least a quick visit to Centennial park on Saturday or Sunday to offer them a word of encouragement and praise for their efforts.

The High on Ice Carving competition is well underway at Centennial Park and conditions are good with the colder weather arriving just in time.  The Single Block sculptures have been completed and judged.  Carvers are now hard at work on their large sculptures.  Be sure to come down to the park and watch the artists at work while the children enjoy the ever popular ice slide.  Get your picture taken at the coloured ice photo booth and carve your name on the interactive wall.  The amateur Ice Carving will take place on Saturday; see how our local city council measures up in the mayor's challenge. 

Mild Temps Won’t Derail Family Fun at Carving Contest

Fort St. John BC (January 11, 2012)-- The weather outside may feel like spring, but winter will be in the air this weekend during an outdoor carving extravaganza teaming with fun for the whole family.

The Fort St. John Community Arts Council is proud to host the 8^th Annual High On Ice – Ice &  Snow Competition, happening January 13 to 15 in Centennial Park. People of all ages are invited to celebrate spectacular sparkling creations carved from ice.

Sculpting events by professional and amateur carvers will take place all weekend long, with the amateur event featuring the annual ‘Mayor’s Challenge’ on Saturday and the “Media Challenge” on Sunday. Take in the snow and ice carving competitions in Centennial Park at the following dates and times:

Other events take place all weekend long around Fort St. John. Families can come out and enjoy pond hockey, curling, tobogganing, sleigh rides, children’s activities, fishing, live entertainment, theatre, comedy, and more.

PROFESSIONAL CARVERS – TEAM

• David Ducharme & Jesse Forrester CANADA **Jesse is from Fort St. John
• Dean Murray & Chris Foltz USA
• Ilya Filimontsev RUSSIA
• John McKinnon & Denis Kleine CANADA
• Peter Vogelaar & Carl Schlichting CANADA
• Wojay Poynter & Benjamin Roseanbaum USA

PROFESSIONAL CARVERS – SINGLE BLOCK

• Chris Foltz USA
• Dean Murray USA
• Denis Kleine CANADA
• David Ducharme CANADA
• Ilya Filimontsev RUSSIA
• John McKinnon CANADA
• Peter Vogelaar CANADA
• Wojay Poynter USA

ABOUT THE HIGH ON ICE FESTIVAL

The 8^th Annual High On Ice Festival comes to life in the community because of the support and partnerships of local organizations and residents. We would like to thank the following Diamond, Platinum and Gold sponsors for 2012:  Pomeroy Hotel, Shell Canada, Safety First Professional Driver Training, Peace Country Rentals, DGS Astro Paving, Spectra Energy, Rhayson Contracting, Talisman Energy, and Surerus Pipeline.

We would like to thank the Silver, Bronze and Friend sponsors for 2012:  ACTO Structures & Logistics, Bizzybody Events, Brandt Tractor, Northern Groove, Cat The Rental Store, Driving Force, Encana, Evolve Enterprises, Extreme Signs, Fort Motors, Moose FM, Neufeld Petroleum & Propane, Peace River Regional District, School District #60, Smith Fuel, Spectra Energy, Swift Specialty Services, Trans Carrier Limited, Tru Value Hardware, Wesco Distribution, Boston Pizza, Canadian Helicopters, Candoo Oilfield Services, Chinook Log Homes, D&T Disposals, Dalco Instruments, District of Taylor, Golder Associates, Gregg Distributors, JD Fitzgeralds, Mr. Mikes, Northern Metalic, PriceSmart Foods, Patch Java, Brewed Awakenings, RONA, Real Canadian Wholesale, Super 8, Trojan Safety, Woodland Tim-br Mart, and C&V Trailer Sales.

Thank you also to the following people, for the hard work and dedication to the event this year – and for some, for many years: Andrew Blaney, Angela Loftus, Bill Hedges, Brad Shilling, Carlos De Smit, David Ducharme, Denise Kleine, Erin Thompson, Ilya Filimontsev, James Landry, Jesse Forrester, John McKinnon, Kyler Forrester, Margaret May, Peter Vogelaar, Rosemary Landry, Russ & Kathy Wilkenson, Sassy Hardt, Sonja Butts, Sue Popesku, and the North Peace Secondary School Students.

ICE & SNOW SCULPTING EVENTS

Schedule of Events:  Centennial Park

Thursday, January 12  6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Welcome Reception

Friday, January 13   1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Single Block Competition

                                      10:30 am - 11:45 am Carver’s Connection Meeting

                                       6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Professional carving competition begins

Saturday, January 14  8:00 am - 10:00 pm Professional carving competition continues

                                          9:00am - 4:00 pm Amateur Ice Carving

Sunday, January 15 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Professional carving competition completion

                                       9:00 am - 3:00 pm Snow Sculpting

                                       2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Judging

                                       4:00 pm Awards Ceremony

                                       5:00 pm Fire & Ice Display

It is “Paint-the-Pot” time again!  The Fort St. John Community Arts Council is looking for volunteer artists to paint flower pots during the months of January and February.

The Flower Pot Project is part of Communities in Bloom and, since 2001, the City of Fort St. John has provided 50 new pots annually, to be painted, planted with flowers and displayed on the street and at the Airport during the summer months.

In partnership with the City, the Arts Council is responsible for arranging for the painting and varnishing of the new pots as well as cleaning and maintaining the older pots.  Artist do not need to be professional, but have a keen interest in creating a quality work of art that will appeal to the public.  The Arts Council will supply the necessary paint and brushes for painting the pots, either at the ArtsPost or at the artist’s home.

Any artist interested in painting a flower pot, and interested sponsors, should contact the FSJ Community Arts Council at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 250-787-2781.  The ArtsPost office is located at 10320-94 Avenue and is open 9 am to 12 noon on weekdays.

The FSJ Community Arts Council with support from the Peace River Regional District and the new Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care Facility is seeking expressions of interest from artists to create an installation in the stairwell of the new hospital.  The ideal artwork should be a wall and/or ceiling installation and not a free standing sculpture.  The stairwell has a bank of windows at the top to let in natural light and consideration will be given to proposals using environmentally friendly or recycled mediums, longevity, innovation or heritage themes.  Click on "read more " to view attached document for full description of project.

For more information, contact the Arts Council at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .