That’s because it was the return of the Shawville Winter Carnival, a free event for local families, complete with fun for all interests and a hot dog lunch to stay fueled up, all organized by the municipality.

As an annual event, councillor Jaime Christie-Stewart said the carnival is meant to provide fun for children, so they can burn off some energy and socialize in the colder months.

Inside the community centre, kids were able to hit the ice for a free skate or grab some colouring sheets to fill in their own masterpiece. Outside, children had the chance to paint piles of snow with bottles of dye or head to the mountain for a bit of tobogganing.

Built up from the winter’s worth of plowing, the snow pile proved popular for the children. With a few parents climbing up to give their young ones a hand, kids had a blast rocketing down the pile along two slopes.

The youngest ones seemed to enjoy the steeper slide, sending them soaring into the parking lot at an impressive speed.

New this year was an addition on the part of the Parents’ Voice Shawville Area, who brought an interactive storyteller to the Lions’ Club.

Jacqui Du Toit told stories of her native continent, Africa, revolving around animals and geography. Using song and dance, she had children captivated as they followed along.

Parents’ Voice member Shelley Heaphy said that the group had brought Du Toit to the Pontiac a few years ago at a Christmas party, and because she was so entertaining, they’d been looking for an opportunity to have her back.

Heaphy said the show is meant to introduce children to experiences and culture that they may not be privy to. This kind of show is meant to not only get them up and moving, but to inspire their own storytelling skills, too.

Her high energy performance, set to the beat of Denis Kashi’s drumming, had kids and parents alike travelling to different African ecosystems and meeting a variety of (stuffed) animals. The group was excited to continue with the carnival’s fun once the show wrapped up.

From left: Jake Childs, Peter Mahon, Noah Shanks, Sydney Newberry and Yanni Newberry hit the ice.

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