Monday was the final day of Winterlude and officials say it’s likely one of the busiest. Kids were out of school for Family Day, and many parents were also off for the holiday Monday, which drew crowds to the festival’s two official sites at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau and Confederation Park in Ottawa. The long weekend was sunny and warmer than average, with Monday reaching a high of -1 C in the afternoon. Melanie Brault, the director of Capital Celebrations with Canadian Heritage, says the weather has helped for a strong finish to the festival. “We are just ecstatic with everything that winter had to offer to festivalgoers,” she told CTV News Ottawa. “The first two weekends were chilly, but that really enabled us to get these ice carvings up and we still have so many people out here admiring them, and that’s just so heartwarming to see.” According to Canadian Heritage, the coldest day of Winterlude was -27 C, and it felt like -36 with the wind chill. There are 87 ice sculptures across the region, requiring more than 1,000 ice blocks and 42 ice and snow carvers. Hughes Capochichi visited Confederation Park’s Crystal Gardens, taking in the ice sculptures with his young family and friends. The wait in line was worth it. “The kids love it. It’s a beautiful day. It’s amazing to have this right in the heart of the city and on a beautiful winter day,” he said. Families also flocked to the gigantic winter playground at Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, like Reikya, who came with her two young children. “We’ve had an amazing time skating on the canal all winter long,” she said. “We’ve seen the ice sculptures, and this is the last thing we haven’t done. And there’s just way more to do here than I even thought.” Brault says while they cannot keep track of exact numbers, estimates show that across all the sites over the festival’s three weekends, it’s expected that 500,000 people attend Winterlude this year. “The third weekend, right now, on the final day has been probably the most popular, most attended out of all three weekends,” she said. Winterlude ran from Jan. 30 to Feb. 16.
