The 50th Festival du Voyageur starts on Friday.
Winnipeg architect, Peter Hargraves, decided to add a little comfort for all visitors and to create ice tables. Such tables will give people the opportunity to relax and to have a glass of something, for example, a glass of caribou, during the festival.
"Here at the festival site, you see all the little traditions that are being kept alive with what the whole festival is doing," said Hargraves. "I think it's super important culturally for our city to have this amazing festival in the middle of wintertime."
The use of ice and snow is one of these traditions. Hargraves tries to support it in full. According to him, the methods of work have become much more modern, but the essence remains the same. His architectural firm has already created an ice bar on the Assiniboine River at The Forks.
"We're using them for art, but the ice that used to come out of the river, we shipped all over the world for cooling in big freeze houses — so it's a different use now."
Ice is very fragile, and work requires certain skills. If you start to cut the ice incorrectly, cracks may appear, and you will have to start from the beginning. The best temperature for work is about -12 ° C, if it drops to -20 ° C, then the ice changes its behaviour.
"You have to listen to the ice," he said. "The ice dictates what you're going to do."
The architect also added that the use of ice to create tables and dishes is not only a tribute to traditions but it is also an excellent form of art in general.
Festival du Voyageur unites people outdoors. This distinguishes it from other festivals around the world.
"In the wintertime when it's cold, and we're having big parties out here, it's a special place."
MORE NEWS:The Forks welcomes Icy outdoor bar