The Huxham family residence in Pointe-Claire has taken snow forts to a whole new level.
Kalen Huxham has taken full advantage of his time off during spring break, building a private movie theatre in his backyard.
“It’s a bit of a tradition getting in the backyard and building stuff,” Huxham said.
“We’re quite a competitive family.”
With walls completely built from compacted snow, the screening room spans some four metres long and two metres wide.
The space is shielded from the elements with a tarp roof.
For proud mother Idem Sama, the space is more than an impressive snow fort, it’s a space the family of five and their two dogs get to share together.
“It’s a nice little bonding area, we all snuggle in together we get to watch movies,” Sama said.
The structure took some eight days to build, three of which were just simply designing the layout.
“He took a lot of time but what else is there to do during a pandemic,” Sama said.
Get breaking National news
“We’re Canadian, I said, why not?” Huxham said.
The outdoor lounging area is fully equipped with cozy, blanket-covered snow benches, a fireplace, Wi-Fi, electricity and don’t forget the 65-inch screen projector.
“It gives us the feeling of being outside while being inside,” Huxham said.
Huxham says the space was mostly decorated with things from home and a couple of buys from the local thrift shop.
While the backyard igloo fort may be a staple of Canadian culture, the family added a bit of their own African heritage to the space with hand-carved wooden lamps from Sama’s birthplace of Nigeria.
“It’s a little slice of home,” Sama said.
The fort is so well insulated Huxham said he even spent a night there.
The family says they frequently use the backyard fort.
They hope the cold weather and the fort itself will hold up for a couple of more weeks.
“I’m crossing my fingers hoping will have the cold front a little longer,” Huxham said.
Comments