The dust — or more accurately, the ice fog kicked up by dozens of high-speed ice machines — has settled, and organizers of the 2023 Lac La Biche Winter Festival of Speed say it was one of the best in the 40-year history of the uniquely northern Alberta event.
Organizer and avid racer Ken Staples has been in the driver's seat of the Festival since it began in the mid 1980s, and been in the driver's seat of summer and winter-racing cars for decades before than — so when he said it was a great weekend of racing ... it was.
"It went extremely well. I can honestly say it's the best event we've had yet," Staples told Lakeland Today in the days following the February 25-26 festival that transformed the frozen surface of Lac La Biche lake into a circus of speed and spectacle, complete with racing cars, snowmobiles, an aircraft fly-in, ice carving and axe throwing events. "Our attendance at the gate — I'd estimate we had about 2,000 on the lake over the two days."
Blue-sky weather, competitive racing heats in from the Western Canadian Ice Racing Championships and the Straightline Snowmobile Racing Associate, and the sheer unique nature of the on-ice weekend helped to make the weekend a success.
"Every event that we had, went well," said Staples.
The success on the ice turns into success at the bank as well for the annual festival that raises funds for local organization and charities.
Gate admissions alone set an event record, with upwards of $15,000 collected. Through sponsorships, donations and the 10-car Charity Race event held on Sunday, the 2023 running of the Festival of Speed will add a significant dollar amount to the already $250,000 raised over the years.
The Lac La Biche Winter Festival of Speed packed the frozen surface of Lac La Biche lake over the weekend with car races, snowmobile drag races, an aircraft fly-in, ice and snow carvings, a trappers display, and much more.
Many of the events were hands-on — literally for some, who put their hands or fingers into humane animal traps at the Alberta Trappers' Association village, or put their hands on the handlebars of a snowmobile for the first time at a learn-to-ride session hosted by the local snowmobile club, or curled their fingers around the steering wheel of an ice-racing car for a few laps at the Edmonton Rally Club's driving school.
For others, the track-side seats were close enough to the action as high-powered snowmobiles burned up the ice, competing in the Straightline Snowmobile Racing Associate (SSRA) snow drags, and race cars navigated the Western Canadian Ice Racing Championships curving ice track.
The Lac La Biche Flying Club's on-ice airstrip drew around 100 aircraft to the unique ice-airport, allowing visitors to get up close to the aircraft. Visitors were also able to get up close to artists from the Alberta Sculptors' Association, at the festival to create several ice and snow sculptures over the weekend.
This was the 40th anniversary of the Winter Festival of Speed. The event draws attention to the community and the many winter activities that can be enjoyed in the region's outdoors. The event also serves as a fundraiser for local organizations and charities, with Festival organizer and founder Ken Staples estimating that more than $250,000 has been raised by the event over the years.
Up in the air
Helping to raise funds and awareness again this year were the members of the Lac La Biche Flying Club.
Flying club executive member Ken Zachewich said 89 aircraft touched-down on the frozen lake runway over the weekend — not quite the record of 108 that dropped in for the 2020 Festival of Speed weekend, but still impressive.
"We first started this in 2010 and we had 36 aircraft, and we thought, Wow — how can we beat this?" Zachewich said.
A lot of this year's pilots were returning flyers, many who make the trip each year. New pilots this year will likely become returning visitors, Zachewich says with a grin.
A pilot himself, and the owner of a float plane and a Piper Cherokee 180, he knows the draw of the event.
"It's so unique to land on this giant ice runway," he said, explaining that at 4,500 feet long and 120 feet wide, the airstrip is made over-sized to create the safest possible landing for all pilots. The ice surfaces is scuffed up when it's created, to help with traction. Zachewich says by the time the ice is ready for the first wheels to touchdown, the surface has half as much friction as a pavement runway.
"It's actually pretty sticky for an ice surface. It allows all pilots to enjoy the experience ... You might have pilots who have only landed on hard runways, or maybe a grass runway, so this is an experience they won't forget," he said.
Also helping them to remember, the local flying club hands out "Certified Ice Pilot" certificates to each pilot who takes part. The club also hosts a good ol' fashioned weenie roast, letting pilots and visitors mix and mingle on the ice and snow-carved airstrip.
"It's got this rustic feel. Out in nature, on the lake, talking about flying and eating hot-dogs over the fire — it's the whole experience that people say is great, not just the flying."
The fly-in helps to bring more attention to the entire festival weekend, and to the local flying club. Planes and a few helicopters arrived this year from as far away as Calgary and Grande Prairie. On Saturday, during a five hour window through mid-day, more than 50 aircraft landed on the ice.
At one point, Zachewich said, the parking pad beside the ice runway was completely filled with planes.
"For a while on Saturday afternoon, I'd say were were the most busiest airports the country," he said.
Aircraft landing were guided to parking stalls by flying club members. The pilots themselves coordinated their take-off and landings at the airstrip through radio contact with each other.
"The pilots did an amazing job sorting themselves out and keeping themselves safe, which they do at any uncontrolled airport," said Zachewich.
This year's event was also visited by a senior representative of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association from Ottawa.
"We're definitely getting national attention," said Zachewich, adding that the club's social media account has fans from across North America. "We've been seen from Florida to Alaska and everywhere in between."
The continued attention to the entire weekend is something the festival organizer likes to see. Over the 40 years, Staples says, there have been some core volunteers. He hopes more will be available in the future.
New faces for the future
"We had a strong group of volunteers and community groups helping us again this year. We had some new faces and some new events, and that's great to see," he said.
That new blood will come in handy for future years, as Staples is planning to hang up his organizer hat after this year. He encourages a local group or individuals to step up and enjoy the ride.
"It is a lot of work — and I'll be around to help with the transition, of course ... but it's time for some new people," he said, adding that he'll continue to race, but will be putting the brakes on the organizing.
Staples was awarded with a recognition plaque by Lac La Biche County officials at the wrap-up of this year's Festival of Speed.
