Town & Country

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The Ambassador of Iceland & the staff of the Embassy of Iceland in Canada send their best wishes to all readers of the Winnipeg Free Press - Manitoba Town & Country In particular we wish the readers of Icelandic descent "Gledilega Hatid" on the occasion of Íslendingadagurinn 2017 in Gimli August 4 - August 7 Embassy of Iceland, 360 Albert Street, Suite 710, Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7 www.iceland.org/ca • KUBOTA • VERMEER • MASSEY • FARM KING • MCCORMICK • VERSATILE • MACDON • BOURGAULT • DEGELMAN • HESSTON • CUB CADET • STIHL • GRAVELY • ARIENS • WESTFIELD • HONDA • LAND PRIDE • TUBELINE 276 Ardal St. Box 190 | Arborg | MB R0C 0A0 Mike Shachtay | shachtays@hotmail.com BUS: 204-376-5233 | CELL: 204-378-001 SALES & SERVICE LTD. ARBORG, MB cafeandwine.com | 204.233.7030 130 Provencher Blvd. | twitter: @cafeandwine POPLAR FOREST CAMPGROUND PRIVATE SEASONAL CAMPING 81023 Two Mile Road East Selkirk, MB. R0E 0M0 poplarforestlodge@outlook.com 1-204-482-5148 • 2017 Summer Seasonal Fees Waived • Winter Storage Fees Apply - Nov - April $100.00 a month Students and artists hook up for Art on Ice T he painted shacks will be on display as public art in Selkirk's historic downtown for Art on Ice. They'll then be auctioned off Saturday, Dec. 2, during the brand-new Holiday Alley street festival. Lucky anglers or homeowners will be able to put them on ice in the winter or use them as garden sheds in the summer. Proceeds from the Art on Ice auction will be shared with an endowment fund at the Selkirk and District Community Foundation called Homes for All, which supports commun- ity housing projects such as group homes, homeless shelters and nursing homes. Why ice-fishing shacks? Every winter, hundreds of anglers turn the frozen Red River into ice-fishing villages, making January, February and March peak tourism season in St. An- drews, St. Clements and Selkirk. The shacks are being built by local high school students who are trading paperwork for woodwork. When Lord Selkirk Education Centre director Stephen Grahame heard about Art on Ice, he worked with the stu- dents to develop a shack model that can be easily built, stored and moved. Students have volunteered to build several shacks and deliver them to local artists, who are donating their time to create masterpieces. "This is part of my math credit, and I like building things. But also, when you put your head down to rest at night it's nice to know you did something good," says Lord Selkirk Comprehensive School student Brenden Benne. The ice shacks were modelled on an example Grahame found online, then modified. The addition of a clear, cor- rugated polycarbonate roof to let the light and heat inside, along with an adapted design that allows the shacks to fit into the back of a pickup truck, make them both practical and unique — just like the opportunity to build them is for the students, explains math and science teacher John Bukich. "This is a great hands-on project that applies what the stu- dents have learned over the last couple of years," Bukich says. "They're enjoying working together and doing something that reflects their studies, developing a sense of accomplish- ment, and also showcasing their own skills." Holiday Alley volunteer and artist Brenda Kardynal was the first artist to adorn a shack, imagining a Red River scene featuring a huge catfish. "Art on Ice is a real community event. There are so many amazing people giving their time and energy to the com- munity with this project and with Holiday Alley. You can't help but be inspired by it," says Kardynal. "Remember the Bears on Broadway and the ice-skating Warming Huts at The Forks? Well, Art on Ice is that and so much more," she adds. Grahame says the project has also been powerful for him, and for his students. "Not only are they learning real skills and producing a real product but they're also giving back. It can be difficult to cre- ate that authentic giving experience for high school students, but this is certainly that," he says. "In a small city, what goes around comes around, and it's really exemplified in Holiday Alley. This is good for the stu- dents, good for the community, good for everybody." ■ Holiday Alley is still looking for more generous people or businesses to help build, paint, pro- vide materials (including paint) and fund the ice shacks. For more information, contact Shirley at 204.771.7523 or info@holidayalley.ca. BY SHERRY KANIUGA It's the warmest time of year in Manitoba, but artists in the Selkirk-Interlake area are busy working on creating the province's coolest public art display. They're beautifying custom-built wooden ice-fishing shacks with eye-catching designs — all for a good cause. Students and teachers (inset) build the ice-fishing shacks, which are then painted by local artists, including Brenda Kardynal. Photos by Darcy Finley Fishing Fundraising T his December, Selkirk and the communities of St. Andrews and St. Clements will celebrate art, culture and light with the launch of Holiday Alley: Art on the Avenue. A block of Selkirk's historic downtown along Manitoba Avenue East will be filled with light, sound, art and various expressions of creativity. Holiday Alley will be the community's signature event to wind up Canada's 150th anniversary year, and the Art on Ice shacks will be on display on the street, then auctioned off, as part of the celebration. Holiday Alley grew out of the successful Homes for the Holidays: House and Heritage Tours, now its third year. ■ ■ Learn more at holidayalley.ca and homesfortheholidaysredrivernorth.ca. HOLIDAY ALLEY L I G H T S U P S E L K I R K &

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