An icy spectacle
in William
Hawrelak Park
BY THE WAY
AFTER BUILDING A SNOWY BACKYARD fortress for his
kids in northern Utah, Brent Christensen knew he
was onto something truly cool. By spraying water
over steel frames, he realized he could “grow” thousands of icicles, in virtually any shape and size.
And by arranging the frozen forms in certain ways,
Christensen built stunning structures, complete with
tunnels, slides and even water fountains. From that
backyard backdrop, Ice Castles (icecastles.com) were
born. Edmonton’s William Hawrelak Park marks the
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SPRING 2016
AMA INSIDER
first appearance of Ice Castles’ chilly creations outside of the U.S.—and their coldest clime yet. The
one-acre Edmonton installment will change shape
as layers of icicles are added (up to 5,000 a day)
and carved by natural elements, such as wind and
snow. At night, the castle glows in rainbow colours,
but it’s just as impressive during the day when
the dense ice walls give off a blue hue. Visit soon,
though—by March, the wintry castle’s days are
numbered. —Tracy Hyatt
ALLISON RICHARDS/FLICKR
Ice Castles in Edmonton