Ice castle sparkles on Echo Lake
A Saskatchewan family’s tradition of building an ice castle in their cabin’s backyard at Echo Lake continued this year.
Sean Frisky said the castle is not an annual project due to its labour-intensive nature, but he’s built them since 2012. Each one is unique and part of how his family embraces winter.
“I think if you live in Saskatchewan, you need to find things to do in Saskatchewan,” Frisky said. “So, we snowmobile, we downhill ski and we hang out at the lake here and the kids skate and we’ve got the ice castle.”
(L to R) Samantha Silverthorn, Colleen Silverthorn, Sean Frisky, Allie Silverthorn and Sydney Silverthorn sit by the fire in their ice castle at Echo Lake. (Alison MacKinnon/CTV News Regina)
With an abundance of ice to choose from, Frisky teams up with some of his neighbours, employees and friends to harvest the ice for the building.
“We have this big medieval saw, we have it cut straight through the ice and we end up with essentially 12 inch by 12 inch logs and they float. So, then we use a four-wheeler to drag them out,” Frisky said. “This year we went from old school labor to actually using a little loader little skid steer to build the structure.”
In order to make sure the castle lasts through the winter, Frisky needs the ice to be between 10 and 13 inches thick.
When the castle is up and running, his family is able to sit around a campfire or have a drink at the ice bar.
The castle usually lasts until March, when the sun melts it all away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.