17-foot snowman towers over Ontario neighbourhood

Now that’s a snowman! A Barrie man builds a snowman tall enough to look over rooftops

Barrie, Ont. — A giant holly, jolly soul is back peeking out over the roofline of one Barrie neighbourhood.

The architect of a towering snowman estimates his height at around 17 feet, though he admits he hasn't been up a ladder to measure.

Chad Hanna has had to "steal" snow from neighbours to build up the imposing Frosty outside his Frost Trail home. He's dedicated 20 hours to shaping the snowman with a snowblower, shovels, a machete, and a lot of elbow grease.

For Hanna, it's all worthwhile to see people light up on a dreary winter day.

"It's just nice to see people drive by and smile and take pictures and go, 'oh wow, that's cool!" Hanna says.

There are fringe benefits to having a giant snowman on your front lawn.

"I can leave my drapes open, and nobody can see in, 'cause it's blocking the whole front window," Hanna jokes.

Hanna has been crafting huge Frosties for a decade. He took a break last year but thought this pandemic winter was the perfect time to get back at it.

"As you notice, he doesn't have a big mask on him. I believe he's socially distancing. Nobody's going to get within six feet of his face. And it's just nice to see him smiling."

There's plenty of time left for Frosty fun before he melts away. Hanna says the snowman doesn't completely disappear until mid-April, leaving behind a pile of dirt he calls "snowman poo."