Winter couldn't have stopped by at a better time for the city's waterfront.
The day after Monday's snowstorm the waterfront kicked off its winter events calendar starting with Deck the Mariner's Hall, a United Way fundraiser that saw 18 local businesses create Christmas wreaths for silent auction.
The Christmas theme dovetails nicely with this weekend's Breakfast with Santa, which takes place Saturday morning at Wiggles and Giggles.
After that children can head to the waterfront rink and skate with the big man himself in the evening. He'll make another appearance on the ice Dec. 14, which will also include a hay ride around the marina.
Dec. 22 will see the city kick off its 12 weeks of Winter Fun Days. Recreation and culture programmer Meghan Shanks said poor weather and communication limited the amount of people who took advantage of the activities last year, which ranged from snowshoeing to skiing. "We're really going to try and work this winter on getting that communication to the public," she said.
Family Day will see the second annual Winterfest down, which drew more than 10,000 people last year. Ice sculptures and a variety of outdoor activities will be capped off with a fireworks display. "Which in the winter is quite impressive I don't know if it's the cold weather or the clear sky but the fireworks are a huge hit," Shanks said.
Over at the Baggage Building Arts Centre the second they're preparing for the second annual Spark in the Park on Dec. 22 to coincide with the winter solstice. From a light parade, complete with homemade lanterns, to arts and crafts operator Angie Jensen said they need the public's help to make the parade a hit.
They also need help building an ice wall. Jensen is asking people to bring juice and milk containers filled with ice to make bricks to make the wall as big as possible. "It will be really cool," she said.
For a full list of events visit the city's website .
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