Heho, Festival!

I credit myself with being pretty tough when it comes to all things wintery, but this particular winter, with its record-breaking lows, has been a tough one. Still, I try to make the best of it. One step in that direction was attending the 45th annual Festival du Voyageur last weekend.

Surrounded by maple syrup lollies, an ice climbing wall, poutine, fiddlers, tourtiere and voyageur sashes, this is about as Canadian as a celebration gets. Take in traditional French-Canadian music, stuff your face with hearty soups and gravy-slathered offerings, pose with impressive snow sculptures, learn about the lifestyle and trades of early French-Canadian settlers, or wrap yourself in handcrafted Metis blankets or sashes; the list goes on.

For me, Festival is a fun way to recognize Canada's (often troubled) settler and trade history, while pretending that I couldn't really care less about winter. Go ahead, stay as long as you like. (But please, no, go away).

This weekend marks the final few days of Festival, so if you haven't had a chance yet, get out there and show winter how tough you are, then spend most of your time inside a heated tent shovelling warm foods down your gullet.