Yellowknife's iconic Snowcastle comes down for safety's sake

Anthony Foliot, or SnowKing, faced another shortened festival this year as he and volunteers cleared parts of the snow castle Thursday.

“I’m happy with everything me and my crew have done,” he said. “I’m just disappointed that we were cut short. C’est la vie.”

Prior to this year’s festival, he had an idea to run it from Valentine’s Day to mid-March, which may have fit the full season, but hindsight is always clearer, he said.

Since the festival finished its season, however, the team has tried to clear the dangerous elements of the castle. But it’s still unsafe for children, he said, referencing one youth who climbed to the roof on Wednesday night.

Parents should keep their kids at home, and not have them on the castle site, he said.

When clean-up finishes later this month, Foliot said he had his sights on a balsa wood airplane sitting on his shelf and plans for next year.

“If we were able to stay open, I’m sure it (would have been) the best one,” he said.