The world’s biggest snow maze is hoping to get even bigger, as long as it can get past a few roadblocks — including getting nature to cooperate and dump some more snow on southern Manitoba.
Owner Clint Masse told 680 CJOB his Guinness world record-holding maze on the site of A Maze In Corn, is planning to expand its six-foot-wide paths this year to allow for social distancing, but first he needs more of the white stuff.
“This year, just with COVID, we’ve got to go larger, so now there’s eight-foot wide paths, so there’s more than enough room for people to pass safely,” he said.
“We did about 4,000 feet of wall — that’s what we’ve done in the past. We’re getting closer to the 6,000 feet of wall, so it’s kind of a monstrous undertaking, and mother nature … she’s not playing nice with us.”
Masse said they’re working on making snow at the maze, but it won’t be nearly enough for such a huge project, so he’s hoping for an assist from the weather.
That may be a big ask, as Environment Canada climatologist David Phillips told 680 CJOB on Monday that January’s above-average temperatures look like they’ll be sticking around for the near future.
“Our models are showing more of the same for January,” Phillips said.
“We don’t see any Siberian air coming down over Manitoba. Maybe the second half of winter will be colder than the first half but that’s because the first half has been so unlike what you normally see on the prairies.”
On top of snow, the maze, which is located just south of the Perimeter Highway near St. Adolphe, Man., also needs the go-ahead from the province to open up due to the current stringent pandemic restrictions.
Masse said he’s looking into what kind of red tape he may have to cut through to get the OK, but he remains optimistic.
“I don’t formally have the word that we can be open (yet),” he said. “But if we’re in the outside sporting/recreation (category), I think there’s a good chance.”