High on Ice

History

The Arts Council partners with the City of Fort St. John to deliver the High On Ice Festival.  The Fort St. John Community Arts Council delivers the ice and snow carving events, including an international NICA (National Ice Carving Association) sanctioned Professional Ice Carving Competition. This partnership began back in 2005 and continues to grow each year.

Each year, professional ice carvers from all over Canada, the United Sates, and from as far as Russia, Italy, and Japan participate in the competition.

With all of the excitement from the High On Ice Festival building year after year, our residents were not content to simply stand by and let the professionals get all of the glory.  We found that we have a whole lot of talent in our neck of the woods, so we now organize an Amateur Ice Carving Competition and a Snow Sculpting Competition.  We also arrange for a children’s ice and snow playground to be constructed during the festival. Residents look forward to this event and come out in vast numbers despite chilly weather.

Professional Ice Carving Competition

The Professional Team Competition invites professional carving teams from around the world to our event. As BC’s only National Ice Carving Association sanctioned event, Fort St John offers over $15,000 in prizes to be won. Professional competitors can enter as an individual or as a team of two and are given 12 ice blocks (10” x 20” x 40”blocks) to create a sculpture in 24 non-consecutive hours.

Professional carvers can compete in two artistic categories, Abstract or Realistic, and all works must be created within the theme, Spirit Within. A maximum of 8 teams (or 16 competitors) are accepted for this competition.

Registration for Professional Teams and Single Block Carving due December 18, 2009.

Amateur Ice and Snow Carving Competition

*Please Note that the Amateur Ice Carving and Amateur Snow Carving are two separate competitions, though individuals may compete in one or both events.

Amateur ice carving invites community teams of ice carvers to enter in beginner or intermediate community categories on the Saturday of the festival. Beginner teams receive two blocks of ice, intermediate carving teams will receive 6 blocks of ice. As part of the amateur competition, the City of Fort St John also hosts an annual “Mayor’s Challenge” wherein dignitaries from area communities are invited to bring a team to the event to compete for bragging rights. (And a trophy!)

Amateur snow carving events are designed to be a fun activity for the whole family to take part in. The ease of working with snow allows everyone to help create a work of art in a block of snow. Community snow sculptors will have a snow block for each team with friends, family and colleagues helping with their creation during the day on the Sunday of the festival. The “Media Challenge” showcases the talent of local members of the media within a snow carving competition; these people really know how to put on a show!

Registration for Amateur Ice and Snow Carving due January 8, 2010.

Community Celebration

In addition to the Ice and Snow events, the High on Ice Festival includes a community celebration featuring toboggan races, children’s activities in the park, live entertainment, sleigh rides, an ice fishing derby, an “Over the Line” ball tournament, Mukluk Curling Bonspiel and Comedy Night. It is organized by a planning committee made up of various community organizations and interested citizens, and planning starts in the fall of each year for the following year’s celebration. Watch for coming details on the 2010 High On Ice Festival in Fort St John!

Please visit the City of Fort St. John's website (under Community Programs) for more information on the Community Celebration during High On Ice: www.fortstjohn.­ca