Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous snow carvers brace for warm weather

While some people in Whitehorse welcome current above average temperatures as a break from the cold snap earlier in the month, the melting conditions are not good for snow carvers participating in this weekend's Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous competition.  

On Thursday, it was -2 C in the capital and the forecast today calls for a high of 0 C. 

"It's challenging I must say," says Minna Eloranta from Team Finland. "Very warm and the snow is very different than usual."

Every year carvers come from across Canada and around the world to participate in the Whitehorse winter festival. Friday is a holiday for many people in the territory.

This year nine snow carving teams are at work in Shipyards Park. The snow sculptures are one of the most popular features of the festival, expected to draw large crowds.

The sculptures appeared to be in jeopardy earlier this year due to a lack of snow. In late January, festival organizers announced they would cancel construction of a snow castle and slide, and spend thousands of dollars to buy snow from the local ski hill, Mount Sima. 

A heavy snowfall shortly afterwards made it possible to collect snow for the carvers from a nearby lake. 

'You need to not overdo it'

The teams are still working on their creations and given the warm weather, some are trying to be strategic about when they carve. Finer details are more difficult to carve when it's warm. 

"You need to not over do it," says Sweden's Pelle Hybbinette, "in case the sun comes up and things start melting, so we're really trying our hardest not to carve or to carve the least amount possible."

Hybbinette says his team may work at night when it's a bit cooler.

"I think the plan is to prepare as much as we can for sort of last minute carving."  

David McNair with Team Manitoba says his crew plan to do the best they can given the conditions. He says they're not in it to win but they do hope to please the crowds. McNair says if his team can't stick to their original plan because of the warmer temperatures, they'll find a way to modify their design and make it work. 

Ken Anderson to bring legend to life

Tlingit master wood carver Ken Anderson of Whitehorse is also working in snow today.

He plans to bring an aboriginal legend to life by carving the raven and the rainbow.

"It's a story from a long time ago," he says. "It was a chief that had the sun, the moon and the stars in a box. The raven disguised himself as a grandchild and cried until he got all those things to play with, and set them free into the sky for everybody to have and thought the rainbow might be a part of that."

Anderson says the raven plays a dynamic role in generational storytelling, teaching children about First Nations' culture.

Judging for the competition begins Saturday morning with the winners being announced that afternoon.