Crowds come out for 43rd Walden Winter Carnival

The brutal cold let up Sunday, offering a perfect sunny winter's day for the Walden Winter Carnival.

With temperatures hovering at a (comparatively) balmy -15, families lined up for a chance to take a ride in a horse drawn carriage, to drive some mini ATVs on the ice, sample some maple syrop or roll around in an inflatable ball.

One of the longest running in Northern Ontario, the first Walden carnival took place in February 1973; 2016 marks the 43rd edition of the winter celebration.

“We are proudly one of the longest running carnivals in Northern Ontario,” organizers say on the carnival's website.

During the first few years, the carnival was only held for one day, on a Saturday, the website says. The activities were mainly games such as a ring toss, penny toss and were held inside the ice rink area.

“Throughout the years we have evolved to host events over four days at several venues which include the T.M. Davies Arena, St. James Elementary School, Anderson Farm and École St. Paul,” the werbsite says.

“Somewhere in the 1980s the name was changed to Walden Winter Carnival and our mascot Wally was introduced.”

It's a non-profit event that relies on sponsorship from local businesses and money received from carnival button sales. Each year, organizers honour a long standing sponsor, commitment or volunteer to the carnival. This year's Merit Award goes to Manitoulin Transport.

The carnival button is chosen yearly through a button contest given to all of the schools in the Lively area, including Copper Cliff and Whitefish. The children are given a button contest sheet and asked to draw their favourite carnival activity.

“This year’s button is a drawing from Emily Miville who attends at École St. Paul here in Lively,” the site says.