PHOTO ESSAY: Snowman carving kicks off Dartmouth ice festival
Sculptor Richard Chiasson took a chainsaw to a block of ice to jumpstart the festival Friday.

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Richard Chiasson chips away at the hat of what will soon be a snowman made of ice at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth on Jan. 31, 2025.Veteran ice carver Richard Chiasson kicked off the Dartmouth Ice Festival Friday with a sculpting workshop at Alderney Landing.
Chiasson has been carving ice for more than 45 years and supplies the ice used for the sculptures that are being created at events over the weekend. He begins preparing the ice for the festival as early as July.
“I just do this as a hobby,” said Chiasson. “I love spending the weekend in Dartmouth and engaging with the public.”
Chiasson is chief instructor at the New Brunswick community college campus in Grande-Anse, N.B.
He began his career in culinary work and got his start one New Years Eve when the chef at a hotel he was working at told him he needed an ice carving for an event. He told Chiasson to go out and not come back until he was done doing one.
Since then, he has made carvings more than three metres tall. He started off the festival Friday with a snowman sculpture and walked through his process with NSCAD students who are participating in this weekend’s sculpting.
The festival runs until today.

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Richard Chiasson takes a chainsaw to a block of ice at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
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Richard Chiasson takes an angle grinder meant for wood working to the ice block to smooth out the rough edges of his sculpture at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
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Snow flies as Richard Chiasson makes a snowman takes shape at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
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Richard Chiasson takes a chunk out of the ice using a chainsaw as he sculpts his snowman at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
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Using a small power tool, Richard Chiasoon cuts out the fine details in his snowman at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
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Richard Chiasson gives his snowman a face using a fine detail power tool at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
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Richard Chiasoon poses with his finished snowman ice sculpture at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.About the author

Elena Neufeld
Elena Neufeld grew up on a farm near Margaret, Manitoba. She loves photography and film and is a member of the UKC women's volleyball team.
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