By Sue Tiffin

Published Feb. 6 2018

Mild weather melted some of the snow the Hardwater Festival might have wanted for optimum conditions but visitors to the second annual “celebration of ice” on Jan. 27 didn’t mind. At least it’s not raining they said as they took in a wide variety of events at four different locations – the West Guilford Community Centre Pine Lake Medeba and Abbey Gardens.

Outside ice fishing and ice safety demonstrations ice sculpting an ice and snow play zone snowshoe races kick sledding snow tagging and ice climbing and winter survival essentials had bundled-up outdoor enthusiasts moving from activity to activity.
“He’ll be in his glory right now” said Lewis McIntosh’s mom Kathy as she watched him and his brother and sister learning about ice fishing on frozen Pine Lake. The family from London Ontario were visiting their cottage on Redstone and were excited to check out the events.

Tom McAlister from Toronto was at the event to get a first look at his newly renovated and redesigned ice hut courtesy of a contest sponsored by ACM Designs.
“We’re up here pretty much every minute we can be” he said of ice fishing on Kashagawigamog Lake. “We’re good at fishing not catching.”
The makeover of McAlister’s hut was part of a $4500 prize package that included design work by ACM the lakeside design company construction work by Hodgkinson Enterprises with additional help from Petrini Construction and Highland Glass new ice fishing gear from Outdoors Plus a lunch with a Yours Outdoors biologist at the hut for four friends and a loaded Boshkung Brewing cooler.
“It’s great to take an activity in the community that we already love and help to make it even more fun” said Kasara McKay of Boshkung Brewing. “We’re super glad to be a part of it.”

Inside coffee chili and the sounds of “cool jazz” provided by Nick Russell and Dylan White ice cream making with Kate Butler from the Haliburton Highlands Museum movie showings of Ice Age and There’s Something in the Water and an art show exhibiting winter-inspired works gave everyone a chance to warm up.
The festival was part of Dysart et al’s Explore Our Lakes initiative.