An Edmonton man is providing his neighbours with a taste of Mexico during the city’s coldest months.
Gerry Kaluzniak has developed a passion for sculpting snow at his home in the southeast end of the city.
“I find pictures on the internet to see what I want to do and it’s basically like sculpting,” Kaluzniak said.
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This season, he has recreated the Chichén Itzá pyramid from the Mayan Riviera.
It’s a labour of love and it usually takes the entire season to build, Kaluzniak said.
“It gets me out of the house in the winter time, so I’m not just sitting inside.
“I find I need the sunshine and I need the fresh air.”
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Since starting it in November, Kaluzniak has spent about 40 hours total on this year’s project.
The local sculptor first started working with snow about six years ago.
“We had a lot of snow piled beside the house one year and we got water in the basement,” Kaluzniak said.
“The next year I decided I couldn’t do that, so I moved the snow to the front yard and because I had the mountain of snow I decided I need to make something with that.”
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The first year, Kaluzniak created a Sphynx with the Egyptian pyramid. Last year, he created the Mayan pyramid after visiting Mexico and built it again this winter.
“The first time I just used the big pile of snow and shaped it; this time I actually built a little plywood frame so I could make the steps much easier.”
Kaluzniak is now getting ready to add on the next phase: a jaguar and snake.
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