By Joe Snow(aka Ryan McCord)

As some readers may be aware, I took a sabbatical last year, after more than 10 consecutive years of helping to build YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 infamous yet ephemeral Snow Castle, home to the month-long SnowkingSA国际影视传媒檚 Winter Festival each year in March.

Upon my return, I discovered that the organization that makes this unique festival happen each year continues to chug along like a well-oiled machine.

As one of the artisans who actually construct the castle SA国际影视传媒� pour by pour, and often shovel-full by shovel-full SA国际影视传媒� I can attest that the building crew, in particular, is operating at top efficiency to build the most majestic structure possible in the two-month-long construction period.

Some readers may wonder: SA国际影视传媒渨hy did you go back to it?SA国际影视传媒� or SA国际影视传媒渨hy do these people do it?SA国际影视传媒�

Here are a few reasons:

- Community building SA国际影视传媒� bringing people together in a unique setting outdoors on the lake.

- Civic pride SA国际影视传媒� creating something that Yellowknifers can be proud to show to our visitors from around the world.

- Creating a cultural capital SA国际影视传媒� by creating a venue for a wide range of arts, music, film, and theatrical productions. We host a huge number of musicians from all across the country, as well as supporting local and northern artists.

Last week Mr. Freeze mentioned "snowcrete.SA国际影视传媒� Snow is an amazing material to work with. After many years of careful experimentation, we have become very confident in the structural integrity of snow.

A front-end loader will have a hard time breaking through a three-foot-thick wall at the end of March. And several people can attest to having canoed through a standing snow arch in late May after Snowking XVIII, when it was surrounded by water and melting ice!

One recent afternoon, I was standing at the bottom of the formwork where Snowking was pouring snow in, for what would eventually become the popular ice slide.

As he blasted snow into the narrow formwork with the Bobcat, I couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 see what was happening in there at all. But after each shot, as the snow settled, I could see that the slide, like the castle itself, was going to be a good thing.

Something for all of us to enjoy and to be proud of.