Events Calendar
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The 2023 High on Ice Winter Fest is presented by Peace Country Rentals
Check out the at-a-glance schedule [PDF - 398 KB] or keep scrolling for detailed descriptions of each activity
Opening Ceremonies
Join us for our opening ceremonies hosted at the Stage in Centennial Park. Hear from our proud Sponsors, Mayor, Dignitaries, Carvers and enjoy a spectacular performance by Dream Dance Circus! Opening ceremonies will also include the Mayor and Councillors first slide down the ice slides.
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Friday, February 17 |
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6:30 PM |
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Centennial Park - Stage |
Single Block Carving Competition
Enjoy watching the professional carvers battle for top spot in the annual Single Block Ice Carving Competition. Each artist is given two hours and only one ice block to create a masterpiece; then all weekend long the public will cast their vote for their favourite single block creation. Thanks to Lee Valley for donating new carving tools!
2023 online voting will be open from 6pm, February 17 to 3pm, February 19.
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Friday, February 17 |
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4 PM |
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Centennial Park In the Formal Garden area |
The MNP Ice Slides
The MNP Ice Slides are back and the site crew and carvers made sure to make them extra fun this year! We also have McElhanney on board this year to take a slide count for us. How many Fort St. John-ians do you think will go down the slide from Friday at 6pm to Sunday at 3pm? Do you think we can get to 10,000 people going down the slides in one weekend? Take a guess at the number of slides by visiting the info tent before 3pm on Sunday!
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February 17 - 20 |
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Open Friday at 6:30 PM |
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Centennial Park |
McElhanney Slide Counter Challenge
This year McElhanney is setting up equipment to track how many Fort St. John-ians go down the slide in one weekend! Can we make it to 10,000 slides in three days? We are about to find out! From Friday at 6:30pm through Sunday at 3pm we will collect the data and report back to see how many people actually used the slides, let’s get sliding. Take a guess at the number of slides by visiting the info tent before 3pm on Sunday!
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February 17 to 19 |
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Friday 6:30 PM to Sunday 3 PM |
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Centennial Park On the Ice Slides |
Lil' Slippers Glow Sliding
New this year, enjoy glow infused sliding at the ice slides. Join our recreation team for lights, glow sticks, music, winter games and lots of slipping and sliding. Parents are responsible for supervising their children, however recreation staff will be onsite playing games and having fun with them.
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February 17 & 18 |
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Friday 7 - 8 PM Saturday 5 - 7 PM |
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Centennial Park On the Ice Slides |
Urban Systems Lil' Chippers Wall
Urban System presents our fun filled Lil’ Chippers Wall! Join our recreation staff and play, chip, and create with ice. This space will encourage kids to explore ice and create something beautiful. There will be sculpting tools, ice paint, shovels, and so much more to create with Saturday and Sunday 11am – 4pm each day.
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February 18 & 19 |
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11 AM - 4 PM |
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Centennial Park In the Kids Zone |
View the Ice Carvings and warm up at the Bonfire
Stroll through Centennial Park to view the ice carvings and warm up at the big bonfire. Staff will keep the bonfire going all weekend long! Check the detailed schedule for the many activities going on inside the recreation facilities and in other areas of the community.
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February 17 - 20 |
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10 AM - 7 PM |
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Centennial Park |
Frozen on Tap: Pizza, Pints, and Performers
Join us at the Festival Plaza Friday and Saturday evening for pizza, live performances and of course some amazing local pints with our local breweries.
Friday night: Beard’s Brewing will be onsite with Folky Strum Strum starting music at 6:30 and Dave White playing music at 8pm
Saturday night: Mighty Peace Brewing will be onsite with Naomi Shore and Ryan Sebastiano starting at 6:30pm and Adam Winn at 8pm.
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February 17 & 18 |
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Friday 6 - 9 PM Saturday 6 - 9 PM |
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Festival Plaza |
Strongest Family in the North: Tug of War
Register for FREE in advance online or in person at the Pomeroy Sport Centre for our first ever community tug of war. This family friendly event takes place on the Saturday of High on Ice! Build the strongest team you can, but it must consist of both kids and adults who will battle it out in Centennial Park for first place! There will be prize baskets for top 3 teams, best dressed and most sportsmanlike teams (voted by each other – nope, sorry you can’t vote for yourself).
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Saturday, February 18 |
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10 - 11:30 AM |
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Centennial Park |
The Olive Tree's Community Carve Competition
Register in advance online or in person at the Pomeroy Sport Centre for our annual Community Carve Competition. We invite all skill levels to try their hand at ice carving. Whether you’ve taken the ice carving workshop or not – this event is a ton of fun! Spend an afternoon with professional carvers and try and your hand at sculpting with ice. There will be prizes for the top 3 sculptures voted by the community. First place - $400, second place - $200 and third place - $100. The registration fee is waived for participants of the advance Ice Carving Workshop on February 11 or 12.
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Saturday, February 18 |
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10 AM - 4 PM |
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Centennial Park |
Festival Foodies
Both Saturday and Sunday we will have local groups providing delicious lunch options from 11am – 2pm at the Festival Plaza for a minimal fee – which goes back into the community. Also, the Girl Guides will be handing out free popcorn and playing carnival games there too!
Saturday: Soup Stock by Nourish and Meals on Wheels is on from 10am - 2pm! Bring a mug and sample soups for $2 per soup sample.
Sunday: $5 for chili and a bun by the Northern Dance Theatre Society.
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February 17 & 18 |
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11 AM - 2 PM |
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Festival Plaza |
Pembina Pipeline Sponsors Hot Chocolate from Canadian Grind
Local supporting, Local in providing free hot chocolate to the community at a couple different times during the weekend. The Canadian Grind trailer is back in the park with the help from Pembina Pipeline! Enjoy a free hot chocolate, or choose to purchase something a little fancier from the team at Canadian Grind who will warm you up with their smiles on a chilly day!
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February 17 -19 |
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TBD |
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Festival Plaza |
Artist Talks - Meet the Carvers
Have you ever wondered how our carvers do what they do? Have questions about their pieces they created, or how they got involved in ice carvings in general? Join us each Saturday and Sunday where we will interview the artists and learn about who they are, and what they do.
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February 18 & 19 |
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Saturday 12 - 1 PM Sunday 12:30 - 1:30 PM |
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Festival Plaza |
Anything But Snowshoes Race
Do you think you can fix anything with duct tape? Are you a genius in the DIY field? Or are you simply competitive and love a challenge of any kind? Well if so, register for FREE in advance online or in person at the Pomeroy Sport Centre to participate in the “Anything but Snow Shoes Race”. It’s fairly simple, rummage through your old drawers, go into the wilderness, or gut your garage to find anything to make your very own snow shoes. The only stipulation is – they have to resemble a snow shoe in some way, but you must make them 100% by yourself! There will be prizes for each age category: 5 and under, 10 and under, 15 and under, and 16+.
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February 19 |
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10 AM - 11:30 AM |
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Festival Plaza |
Closing Ceremonies
It’s a formality really, we are Canadian -saying thank you is in our DNA! Join us on Sunday around 3:30pm as we begin to say a final thank you to everyone who made this amazing festival happen. We will announce the winners of the Single Block Competition, the Community Carve Competition as well as hopefully award the prize for who came closest in how many Fort St. John-ians slide down the slides! Once we have given all the love back to the community sponsors, we will enjoy a fire performance by the amazing Dream Dance Circus to end the celebration. Finally, we would like everyone to stick around and enjoy free hot dogs presented by our amazing sponsors and volunteers at Secure Energy.
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Sunday, February 19 |
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3:30 PM |
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Centennial Park - Stage |
The following Winter Fest activities are happening outside of the Park Play area. Many of these activities are planned and run or sponsored by organizations and businesses in our community. Most of the listed activities are free, however, some activities require pre-registration and a few also require payment to participate ($).
North Peace Ride for the Disabled: Horse and Sleigh Rides
This High on Ice our friends at the North Peace Ride for the Disabled will be hosting free horse and sleigh rides at the Sunset Stables located in Baldonnel on Saturday, Sunday and Monday 11am – 3pm Family Day weekend! These rides are open to all members of the City of Fort St John! This event will take place outdoors and is weather permitting.
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February 18-20 |
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11 AM - 3 PM |
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Sunset Stables (Baldonnel) 6704 253 Rd |
The Fort St John Curling Club presents: 2023 Mukluk Bonspiel:
The Fort St John Curling Club is hosting their annual Mukluk Bonspiel event during the High on Ice weekend! Register a team for $320 which includes a small dinner on Friday, a full dinner and dance on Saturday with local performers, The Sweet Water Band. To register or for more information check out their website or email fsjcurlingclub@telus.net.
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February 17-18 |
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Contact FSJ Curling Club |
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FSJ Curling Club |
North Peace Saving and Credit Union presents: SnowyDream Siberians Meet, Greet & Learn
Register in advance for a time slot to meet and greet these Siberian Huskies by emailing hoihuskies@hotmail.com. The event location will be provided during registration. Visit the SnowyDream Siberian website for more information about their huskies.
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February 19 |
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11 AM - 4 PM |
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Charlie Lake area |
AltaGas presents: Free Public Skating
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February 17 |
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4 - 7 PM |
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Pomeroy Sport Centre (oval) |
Tourmaline presents: Free Public Skating
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February 18 |
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12 - 3 PM |
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Pomeroy Sport Centre (oval) |
Petronas presents: Free Public Skating
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February 19 |
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1:30 - 3:30 PM 4:30 - 6:30 PM |
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Pomeroy Sport Centre (oval) |
City of Fort St. John presents: Free Bouncing Beans
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February 19 |
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1 - 4 PM |
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Kids Arena Fieldhouse |
Nourish/Meals on Wheels presents: Soup Stock
Enjoy tasting a variety of soups for a $2 donation per sample at the Festival Plaza from 11am – 2pm on Saturday, February 18. Pauline and volunteers will be onsite brightening our chilly days with warm tasty foods. We encourage everyone to bring your own mug, BYOM as we like to say!
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February 18 |
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11 AM - 2 PM |
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Festival Plaza |
Engage Sport North and Northern Adaptive Sports: Sledge Hockey and Broomball Try-it
Every year Engage Sport North and Northern Adaptive Sports brings us an amazing opportunity for our community to come learn more about accessibility in sports as well as education on what adaptability looks like. February 18 from 2:30pm – 4pm on the West Rink at the Pomeroy Sport Centre, drop in to play some Sledge Hockey and Broomball!
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February 18 |
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2:30 - 4 PM |
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Pomeroy Sport Centre (west rink) |
Whiskey Jack Nordic Ski Club presents: Free ski rentals
Have you ever wanted to try cross country skiing? Whiskey Jack Nordic Ski Club has an extensive, groomed trail system out at Beatton Provincial Park on Charlie Lake. Join them on Monday, February 20 from 10am – 2pm inside their day lodge, located at 12687 248 Road, Charlie Lake for free rentals.
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February 20 |
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10 AM - 2 PM |
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Beatton Provincial Park 12687 248 Road |
The Lido presents: Laugh Your Ice Off Comedy Fest
The Lido brings back their Laugh your Ice Off Comedy Fest again this year, which won’t disappoint! Show starts at 8pm, Friday Saturday and Sunday and tickets can be purchased through their website. We can’t wait to laugh with you!
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February 17-19 |
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8 PM |
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Lido Theatre |
Backcountry presents: Free Ice Fishing Derby
This fan favorite event is back again to encourage residents and our surrounding area to get outdoors and explore Charlie Lake. Get your rods, bundle up and try your best to catch the biggest and best catch of the weekend. This event take places Sunday at Charlie Lake, with the final weigh in at 3pm. There are prizes for first, second, and third for both adults and youth under 16. This activity may be cancelled in the event of -20+ weather. For more information call Backcountry at 250-785-1461.
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February 19 |
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8am - 3pm |
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Charlie Lake |
Dream Dance Circus Performers: Children’s Circus Workshop
Join Marcia and Nikki at the Kids Arena Fieldhouse Saturday and Sunday for a children’s workshop where they will learn the art of circus performances through dance, hula hoops, balancing pots, juggling and so much more. This is a free activity to participate in, however donations for the artists are greatly appreciated. Register for FREE in advance online for Saturday’s workshop or Sunday's workshop, or register in-person at the Pomeroy Sport Centre!
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February 18 or 19 |
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11 AM - 12 PM |
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Kids Arena Fieldhouse |
Amazing Escapes
On February 18 and 19, Escape for only $18 per person (+tax) and on Family Day, February 20, Escape for only $15 per person (+tax). ALSO, it is the last weekend to try to Escape the Back to the 80's room. Contact 250-785-0201 or visit amazing-escapes.ca/booking to book a spot!
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February 18-20 |
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During regular business hours |
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Amazing Escapes in Fort St. John |
North Peace Museum:
Discover the winter heritage of Fort St. John and the North Peace Region through the BC Family Day Weekend Winter Scavenger Hunt and Open House at the Fort St. John North Peace Museum. From snowshoes to sleighs and foot warmers to rough locks, residents found ways to live in our northern climate.
Search for winter-related artefacts around the museum as a family, learning fun facts and short local stories about these items. Choose from our selection of prizes after completing your scavenger hunt! Admission is free for everyone to explore the museum as they wish.
The BC Winter Family Day Weekend Scavenger Hunt and Open House will take place on Friday, February 17 from 9am to 5pm, Saturday, February 18 from 11am to 4pm, and Monday, February 20 from 1pm to 4pm. This event is sponsored by the Province of British Columbia.
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February 17 - 19 |
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Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM Saturday: 11 AM - 4 PM Sunday: 1 PM - 4 PM |
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North Peace Museum |
Bergen Financial presents: Free Family Day Swimming
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February 20 |
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1 - 4 PM |
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North Peace Leisure Pool |