EDMONTON – It was a beautiful creation made entirely out of ice and snow, but the days of Edmonton’s ice castle glory are numbered and will be coming to an end on Monday.
“The sun is really hard on the ice. We’ve had to make the decision to close during the daytime and just be open in the evenings when the temperatures are cooler,” said Kat Eliason, an ice castle visitor ambassador. “We are having to regularly keep an eye on parts of the ice so that when we have visitors in– it’s the safest experience possible.”
There are signs of melting everywhere. Puddles fill the walkways and the sculptures themselves have shrunk from their original size.
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“It’s getting a little smaller. We’re losing some of our decorative icicles,” Eliason said.
Organizers were hoping the ice castle would remain open until March, but the February heat has taken its toll.
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“Normally our regular season temperatures would allow for that, the occasional warm day would allow for that — but it’s this consistent long-term above zero that’s causing the problem,” said Eliason.
Residents with tickets beyond Monday can move the date of their visit, otherwise they will receive a full refund.
The lights and features will come down on Monday and then the castle will be left to melt on its own.
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