The passion for ice sculpting has been passed down from one generation to the next in Saint-Côme, a small village north of Lanaudière, where a festival dedicated to this art form has been held for decades.
After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Saint-Côme en Glace Festival is back and in full swing these days. This is its fortieth edition since its debut in 1967, with some years having been skipped for various reasons.
Until February 27, amateur ice sculptors demonstrate their skills on the main street, where nearly a hundred large ice cubes are placed everywhere in front of the houses. The craftsmen sculpt live using knives, drills and mechanical saws, while many curious people watch them, admiring.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, Geneviève Quessy
“Several citizens participate each year, some of them for 40 years! The whole village contributes in its own way, either by sculpting, by sponsoring, or by lending their land, their water or their electricity. We also welcome sculptors from outside who want to take advantage of the opportunity,” explains Mélanie Deslauriers, member of the organizing committee.
Benoît Girouard, a citizen of Saint-Côme, has been making sculptures every year for 14 years. With his group of friends, he created an impressive scene made up of several sculptures on the medieval fantasy theme. “The dragon’s jaw had fallen off, it had to be glued back together with a slush mixture that we made with water and snow. Look, it doesn’t show! he explains to passers-by who stop and exclaim.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, Geneviève Quessy
Benoit Girouard inherited his passion for ice sculpture from his father-in-law, Jean-Pierre Larochelle, who has participated in the festival since its very beginnings. “He taught me a lot of tricks, then we received advice from Alex S. Girard, an artist from the region. By dint of doing it every year, we become good!” he said.
The citizens of Saint-Côme have developed quite an expertise, in particular in extracting blocks of ice from Petit lac Poirier using a mechanical shovel. The large blocks of 4 feet by 10 feet, solid and very translucent, are then transported to the village using a wheel loader. “This year, we did it in the worst conditions. It was minus 38 degrees that day! We took 724 blocks of ice out of the lake in all, ”says David Morin, logistics manager for the blocks of ice.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, Geneviève Quessy
And festival-goers take advantage of this winter event to celebrate. “The tradition of sculptors is to warm up with caribou shooters,” says Benoît Girouard, filling small glasses that he distributes to his team of sculptors. “Everyone has their own recipe!”