Who says snow forts have to be just for kids?
Cecil Devine, a retired landscaper and draftsman, has taken the old winter tradition of building snow castles and really made it something special. Right in front of his house on Concession Road, there’s a huge snow castle that covers most of his yard and is catching the eye of neighbors and people driving by.
Devine shared that he began working on the castle during the first snowfall in December, and this is actually the third time he’s tried making one.
“When it started snowing, I just started piling it and packing it,” said Devine. “I enjoy the winter, I always have.”
The castle almost fills his whole yard. It features a ramp, a Canadian flag, several small sections, and multiple “turrets.” To make the snow bricks, Devine uses garbage cans and old boxes. He also cuts frozen chunks with a small black saw and collects snow from his neighbors using a blue recycling bin.
“I’ve harvested my neighbour’s snow three times,” said Devine. “This wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”
Devine said that at the end of the day, the castle is meant for local kids to play in-and hopefully to get them inspired to build their own instead of sitting inside all winter. He plans to keep adding new parts to it throughout the season.
“Do I have a plan? Yeah it’s on a white piece of paper and I lost it in the snow,” said Devine. “It’s in there [the castle] somewhere, I’ll find it in the spring.”
