After weeks of labouring to clear driveways, stairs and cars of snow, the Town of Riverview wants you to actually enjoy some time out in the snow.
This weekend and all of next week is the Riverview Winter Carnival and they are hoping the public will come out to enjoy the benefits of huge snowfalls.
Karen Thompson is the Recreation and Community Coordinator for the town, and she says this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Carnival and they have many activities for everyone in the family.
“We’ve got a wonderful snow shoe trail that’s just been created this year that’s ready for people now with all the fresh fallen snow,” says Thompson And we do have a beautiful cross country ski trail that is groomed and ready for people to hit it.”
Thompson says the Carnival runs until the 15th, but the main event this weekend is the Winter Wonderland.
“It’s at our Winter Wonderland Park and we have the huge sliding hill with the snowboarding side as well,” says Thompson. “And we have a sleigh ride trail, we’ve got maple taffy on the snow there. There’s also a canteen up there if you want to have your lunch while you’re there.”
Thompson says all the snow this year let them run their snow sculpture competition for the first time in almost a decade.
“We’ve been getting a flood of photos submitted from the public of people that are out there building forts, they’re building all these snow sculptures, huge snowmen,” says Thompson. “Everyone is getting out and having fun, so that’s exactly what we wanted to have happen.”
Thompson adds almost everything is free, except for maple taffy (which is $1.00 a stick) and food and drinks from the Lion’s Club canteen (money there is used to fundraise for the Lion’s Club.)
She says as further enticement to lure people out, there will be free “s’mores” for everyone who wants one.
