What does it take to be an Ice Hog at Winterlude?

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The four furry members of the Ice Hog family are the superstar ambassadors of Winterlude. 

No matter where they go during the Ottawa-Gatineau celebration of winter, children follow, smiling and laughing as they reach for a high five or snag a hug from the larger-than-life creatures. 

The friendly rodent family appears multiple times a day in various locations during Winterlude, from Jacques Cartier Park to the Canadian Museum of History to Sparks Street. They have a lounge on Sparks and a secret lair at the Snowflake Kingdom. 

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Legend has it that Papa Ice Hog was one of the animals to cross an ice bridge over the Bering Strait during the last Ice Age. The ageless giant groundhog travelled through Alaska and ended up in Canada’s Far North before being lured to Ottawa by the excitement of the city’s winter festivities. He later returned with his wife and the twins, Nouma and Noumi.

That’s one of the Ice Hogs’ origin stories, according to Karen Massicotte, volunteer centre manager for the federal department of Canadian Heritage, which organizes Winterlude. An earlier version of the tale had them emerging from beneath the ice of the Rideau Canal to take over the mascot role. 

Of course, the reality isn’t quite so magical, and if you still believe in Santa Claus, here’s a spoiler alert: Beneath the fuzzy cheeks and teddy-bear ears of Winterlude’s first family is a team of volunteers. 

More than 100 people will be wearing the Ice Hog outfit during this year’s Winterlude, which runs weekends until Feb. 17.  Massicotte said they range in age from elementary students to retirees, including entire families of four who volunteer together. One gentleman has been doing it for 30 years. 

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So what does it take to be an Ice Hog? 

For starters, Massicotte says you have to be fairly fit to hold up the bulk of the costume, and there are height restrictions (5’4” to 6 feet for the Mama and Papa, and 5’3” or under for the twins. “Shorter is cuter,” Massicotte says). Many of the participants are high-school students gaining volunteer hours. 

Also important to note are the rules of wearing the costume: Never take the head off in public. Stay together as a family unit. Don’t speak a word. If you see a crowd, head towards them. Always exaggerate your movements, whether waving or blowing kisses. 

To communicate with handlers, they need to know the sign language, too: A thumbs-up means all is good, while a thumbs-down means the wearer has a stray hair in their eye or some other irritant they can’t reach. 

Ottawa’s Julie Ransom loved being an Ice Hog when she signed up for the gig while in high school, some 20 years ago. Now the federal government legal assistant is the Ice Hog coordinator, wrangling the critters with a radio headset instead of a cattle prod. 

“To see the children have a smile on their faces and dancing around with us, I loved it,” Ransom said. “I love the cold and I love seeing people smile.” 

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Canadian Heritage has 20 Ice Hog costumes, enough for five full mascot families. Each one consists of a foam “girdle” that goes over the shoulders and gives the big-belly effect, followed by a layer of fur and topped off by a coat. Volunteers, who appear in costume for just 20 or 30 minutes at a time, wear shorts and a T-shirt underneath because it gets warm, although you do get some wind in your face, Ransom noted. 

The costumes are disinfected with a fragrance-free product and aired out after each use. 

Being an Ice Hog is one of many opportunities to help out at Winterlude, and not all of them require a bulky costume. Volunteers also assist with the snow slides and other activities at Snowflake Kingdom, keep an eye out for lost children, provide information to the public and tend the photo stations on Sparks Street and other locations.

More than 600 volunteers are part of the 47th edition of Winterlude.

lsaxberg@postmedia.com

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