The Winter Festival of Speed is returning to the lake in Lac La Biche this month and one of the lead ice sculptors says they are getting ready.

The festival includes many fast winter activities, and there will also be ice sculptures for festival-goers to take in: Barb Marcinkoski, Ice and Snow Director of the Sculptors Association of Alberta, says that even though it’s a big task to undertake, her team is ready to go.

Over 4,000 pounds of specially engineered ice will need to be transported from Edmonton to Lac La Biche for the festival. Time will then be put aside to carve the ice. Marcinkoski says that this task isn’t something her and her experienced team hasn’t faced before.

“A lot of our carvers that will be coming with us are very experienced, professional, and do a lot of ice and snow carving. We hope to be producing something that’s really great,” she said.

The Sculptors Association of Alberta has been into ice carving and sculpting for over 25 years, with Marcinkoski’s mother being one of the founders. An event like this is routine for Marcinkoski and her team. Preparations have been ongoing for their upcoming appearance at the Winter Festival of Speed, and Marcinkoski says it’s all to make sure their sculptures dazzle on the lake in Lac La Biche.

Along with the ice sculptures, the festival returns after a hiatus due to the pandemic, with racing on the lake, along with an airstrip where pilots will land their planes on the lake to meet with people and give tours of their planes.

The Winter Festival of Speed runs the weekend of Feb. 25.

​​Listen to the full CFWE Interview below with Barb Marcinkoski: