Ice fishing season in Selkirk is going to be a little more colourful this winter.
A collaborative art project called Art on Ice has produced six new ice shacks, which will be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser to help support local social housing projects.
Ice fishing is one of the most popular winter activities in Selkirk, and the shacks dot the Red River from the moment it's safe to walk on the ice until it begins to thaw in the spring.
High school students designed all of the structures, and then spent the summer building them, with the help of some local carpenters.
Different artists then took the shacks and painted them.
Artist Mandy van Leeuwen stands in front of the ice fishing shack she painted as part of the Art on Ice project. (Trevor Brine/CBC)
One of those artists is Mandy van Leeuwen.
"Being invited to be a part of a collective art project like this is really special for Selkirk and we need more events and artistic collaborations to happen here because it generates so much excitement for the community, it's a way to tell stories and bring important issues to light."
She says her shack took its inspiration from her experience observing homeless people in the street.
"I had the chance to meet so many people that are affected by the need for supportive housing and supportive lifestyles in all walks of life," she said.
Inside the shack, she painted things you would usually expect to find outside, and did the reverse on the exterior.
"It's forcing you to think like, you're out on the street, and you're outside in the cold and looking at the house the opposite way."
The project is part of the Holiday Alley festival Dec. 1 to 2. The auction will happen Saturday at 3 p.m.
Shirley Muir is a volunteer with the festival.She says each of the shacks took weeks to make. The proceeds of the auction will go towards the Housing for All initiative, which will donate the funds to local social housing projects.
One of the ice shacks to be auctioned off as part of the Art on Ice project. (Trevor Brine/CBC)
