Photo: Toonik Tyme igloo-building competition

Louis-Philip Pothier, right, and Fernando Castaneda Bucci touch up their winning igloo in the Toonik Tyme festival’s igloo-building contest, April 6. The team finished their snow house ahead of seven other pairs of contestants to take the top prize – $1,500 in cash and a return ticket south on Canadian North. “I’m pretty happy,” said Pothier, who completed the igloo within 45 minutes. This year’s contest was the first in recent memory that called for pairs to enter, not single competitors. “Last night I got on the phone to try to find me a block-cutter,” he laughed. James Taparti and Troy Netser finished their igloo just minutes later, and won a prize of $1,000 with camping gear. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)