Pearl Lorentzen
Lakeside Leader
Winter sports are a big part of the weekend of activities called All-In Winter.
“It coincides with Frost Fest,” says Shawn Gramlich, with the Slave Lake Tourism Society. Frost Fest provides stuff for locals. All-In hopes to “draw a bit of out-of-town interest.”
Gramlich is one of the organizers, so it’s no surprise that All-In Winter starts with a celebrity hockey game.
This one is Slave Lake Wolves Alumni vs. Indigenous All-Stars.
The exact line up of the Wolves is unknown, says Gramlich. This is because although 35 players are interested, it’s hard to gauge who will be available. The reasons are many work in the oil patch which is doing well and COVID-19 is sweeping through the community, so it’s hard to know who will be sick. There will be a full team, but some other locals may have to pad the Wolves alumni numbers.
“They’re a little more defined,” Gramlich says, about the Indigenous All-Stars. They include Indigenous hockey players who reached a high level and local chiefs and councils.
The game is on Friday, February 18 starting at 6 p.m. Tickets for this and the Celebrity Round Table are on Eventbrite.
Similar to the Ice Breaker Hockey, which Gramlich organizes in the summer, there will be an Indigenous Sports Celebrity Round Table and Comedian Don Burnstick.
There are snacks, but no meal. However, the biggest difference is the tone of the event.
The Indigenous players will tell a bit about their struggles being Indigenous within the NHL, says Gramlich. It’s “not a really happy conversation.”
Afterwards, Burnstick will lighten the mood, he adds.
The Round Table starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Legacy Centre.
Saturday, Feb. 19, the focus turns to Big Fish Bay RV Resort in northwest Slave Lake.
The Slave Lake Snow and Mud Association is organizing Outlaw Sled Drags on Lesser Slave Lake.
“It’s just straight drags,” says Bill Criss, association president. Outlaw refers to there being no maximum horse power in the highest class. At the last drag races in 2019, one of the racers made it up to 140 km per hour in 600 feet.
However, the drag race does have safety precautions, he adds. These include mechanical inspections before the race and Slave Safety is supplying a truck and people with first aid. The hospital is also very close. This is the fifth drag race organized by the group. There’s never been an accident, says Criss.
As a club, Snow and Mud really stresses family, adds Criss.
The race has categories from small children to outlaw.
The kids’ snow machines don’t go very fast, says Criss. Last time, one of the little racers had the throttle all out and their dad was able to keep up running beside them.
As of Jan. 31, there were races registered from 25 different communities in Alberta. In total, there could be up to 200 racers.
The races start at 11 a.m. (with registration at 9). The racing continues until there is a winner for each category, possibly as late as 6:30 or 7 p.m., but likely by 4 p.m.
For spectators, the event costs $10 or a food bank donation.
While the snow machine races are going, there are other family events in the campground on Feb. 19.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. there are sleigh rides through the campground. Tickets must be purchased in advance. These are available online. It is a fundraiser for the Slave Lake Gymnastics Association.
From 1 to 4 p.m., there is a free event called Maple Syrup on a Stick organized by the Lesser Slave Lake Regional Arts Council and Fix Coffee Bar and Bakery.
From 4 to 7 p.m., there is a family skate night on ponds in the campground.
On Sunday, February 20, there are two related events. One, Winter Adventure Day, is mentioned in the Frost Fest article. The other is a bit further away. This is Kids Can Catch in Joussard. The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. with fireworks at 6 p.m. Information is available on www.lswc.ca.
