Juno Snow Bear and Winter’s Last Snow Fall

They had announced 20 to 30 centimeters of snow. The temperature was going to be mild. It was going to be the perfect weather to make a “Snow Bear” (Snowman). In Manitoba, during the Confinement of January 2021, Vinora Bennett, a mother of 4 children, created a garden of snowy polar bears. You can learn more about her beautiful and unique collection, in this Winnipeg Free Press Article.

_{Photo Credit: RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS}

When the 30 centimeters of snow started to fall, I had just finished clearing out (again), our patio! The freshly fallen snow would be the perfection conditions to carry out my little project. The snow was going to be sticky, I would have direct and easy access to the raw material (snow), and most importantly, I wouldn’t have to remove the not so charming gifts, left behind by the many herds of deers, that had been visiting over the winter.

_{12.03.2022 1:22¨PM… 10 cm max! Mais juste assez pour mon projet : )}

First, I thought of making the sculpture on a board, which would allow me to easily move it. I thought about cardboard that I could easily slide on a board. That’s when I thought of using a box, that I would fill and compact, to form a very dense and solid cube. 2/3 of the snow that fell on the Patio, that day, ended up in the box. I left it for an hour or two, time to have lunch and to gather my sculpting tools. A chef’s knife and a small paring knife. A simple project, a bit ambitious… but that was going cost… nothing!

An ambitious project, alright, since I had never sculpted anything, let alone a polar bear! The snow was perfect and it could my last chance for the winter. While I let my block of snow harden, I sat at my computer to find images of snow bears, when these two Inspiration Post-Its, caught my attention.

Supplies:

An empty box
Tape
A shovel
Snow
A chef’s knife
A paring knife
Pebbles from Nova Scotia or anywhere else… for the nose and the eyes
A pink silk flower petal, cut to make the tongue

Cost: 0$

_{12.03.2022 1:24-2:25 PM ( 1h00 )}

In the article, Vinora Bennett explains that since her snow was dry, she first formed mounds of snow and then sprinkled them, with cold water. So if you feel like snow sculpting, you won’t have to wait for the perfect temperature. Colder temperatures would aslo help you to keep the sculptures longer, than in the spring!

As the snow was not very sticky, I quickly realized that I was going to have to carve (by removing snow only), without the possibility of adding more snow. I always kept in mind the bear’s little ears when cutting out the general shape. The legs are, we could say, a bit ”approximate”, but good enough… for this first project.

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And that’s how our new, but short-lived friend Juno Bear, came to life!

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Need I say… How quickly, we fell for him!

The Real Juno Bear

Juno Bear, was born at the Toronto Zoo on November 11, 2015 to Aurora and Inukshuk (Our Inukshuk from Cochrane, Ontario). Born on Remembrance Day, she was named in honor of ”Juno Beach”, the code name for one of the main beaches of the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.

In March 2016, we had the immense pleasure of meeting this adorable little bear at the Toronto Zoo. Rarely have I seen so many adults, instantly in love with a little animal. I still remember the children telling their parents that it was time to continue the visit; and the parents answering… Just a few more minutes!

Juno Snow Bear

It was love at first sight! That’s how it happened, on that last snowy day of Winter… If I could have gotten it inside, I would have done it! Here are some moments of this short, touching but so joyful passage in our life!