Another tribute to Gord Downie is taking shape in Kingston’s Market Square. To coincide with the opening of the 13th annual “Feb Fest,” an ice sculptor decided to do something different. Peter Vogelaar has been a part of the Limestone City’s celebration of winter for nearly 10 years now. He says Mother Nature has thrown him a bit of a curve.
“As soon as the air gets above zero — I don’t care about your wind chill — it’s going to do something to my ice. You see that it gradually starts breaking down right at the surface. Then if the sun comes out on top of that, it doesn’t even take 20 minutes, it’s gone.”
Thursday’s less-than-ideal weather meant a real “on and off day” for Vogelaar. There were several times when he’d have to cover up the sculpture just to save it from melting. He says he’s looking forward to colder conditions and finishing the project.
“To me, the fact that I can create a portrait of Gord Downie and have thousands of people enjoy it, it doesn’t matter that it can be gone next week, I just enjoy the process.”
The 64-year-old Hip fan says he just wanted to do something different this time around. This year, Feb Fest has gone from four days to the entire month of February.