Yukon snow carvers honour hockey coach Jim Fowler
Yukon's snow carving team created a 16-foot tall sculpture of Jim Fowler, a long-time hockey coach who died while skating on Marsh Lake last year, during Winterlude in Ottawa.
Team member Don Watt said the theme this year was sports, so the group decided to honour Fowler.
The snow sculpture was of three figures: a 16-foot kneeling adult inspired by Fowler, facing a small boy and girl dressed for hockey.
"They're a little bit shaky on their skates, they're not quite holding the hockey sticks right, and they've got great big bobbleheads because they've got their helmets on," said Watt.
Watt says the children are looking at the adult in awe as he imparts "two bits of wisdom: Play fair and be a team member."
The team usually bases its snow carvings on legends and historical figures.
Watts says the sculpture had a good reception from Yukoners in Ottawa for Yukon Days as well as the general public for the scale of the artwork and the emotion represented.
The team is now off to the Japan Cup where they plan to create a carving based on the legend of how raven brought sun to the world.