This is the way ‘communities should do community’

Children and adults in West Broadway celebrated winter with games, skating and even horses on Saturday.

The 22nd annual West Broadway Snoball Winter Carnival brought dozens of area residents together both outdoors and indoors at the centre and park just south of Broadway at Young Street.

“It is definitely a joyful activity,” Kelly Frazer, executive director of the West Broadway Community Organization, said on Saturday.

“Winter can be isolating for people. We want people to get out and see their neighbours and enjoy their time. This is a great event because everything is free. You can come and ride in the horse-drawn carriages, you can get a good meal, you can play lots of games, and everything is free.”

Frazer said the majority of people who come to the annual event live nearby.

“Most of the people you can see are showing up on foot,” she said. “They are coming from West Broadway from the direct surrounding community.”

Veda Koncan was one of them. Koncan came to the event with her husband and two children aged seven and two.

“We always try to come to the Art City (one of the sponsors) parties because they are such an important part of our community,” she said.

“They put so much heart into everything they do. We’ve been looking forward to this event — our seven-year-old really likes art. I’m excited to see all the art the kids have been working on. This is an accessible way to show kids art and how art can be used for community building.”

Nearby, eight-year-old Felix Neufeld, bundled up in snow gear, was trudging through snow, with his five-year-old sister Kajsa, heading to the hot chocolate booth a few metres away.

“I did the ring toss and the castle thing,” Neufeld said. “It has been fun. I’m not cold, but I’m hoping to get hot chocolate next.”

As for Kajsa, she had a three word answer for what activity she liked best: “I like everything.”

Sitting behind a table, registering volunteers and giving helpful advice to event participants, M. Hoskins said she lives nowhere near West Broadway, but wanted to help.

“I am from away at the west end of the city near the Perimeter,” Hoskins said. “I volunteer with a plethora of organizations within the community because I kind of consider West Broadway my home away from home community that I live with and sleep elsewhere.

“The way that they do community is the way I believe all communities should do community and today is a case in point.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca