The Winter Festival of Speed has cancelled due to poor ice conditions on Lac La Biche, and the entire ice race car season has been put on hold by the governing body.
Festival of Speed organizers held an emergency meeting Wednesday night to discuss the ice conditions. Using data from ice tests done by Lac La Biche County staff, organizers decided the ice wouldn’t be ready in time to prepare for the races.
While early-season cold temperatures created a thick layer of ice, it is less than the 19 inches needed . But that’s only part of the problem. On top of that ice is a mixture of snow, water and poor-quality ice that makes the lake unsafe for work crews.
“It’s all in the name of safety,” said Musat, adding that all events would be cancelled.
The problem of finding suitable ice isn’t just limited to Lac La Biche. Across the province, lakes have too much snow and surface water above the ice to make racing safe, and the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club has postponed the car racing season. There is a possibility of some races being run at Alberta Beach, said Musat, since the lake has a shallow bay that freezes through to the bottom, and would be suitable for racing. But plans for those races have not yet been set.
“The majority of lakes are in really bad condition,” he said.
This isn’t the first time the ice races have been cancelled. About 12 years ago the races were cancelled because of bad ice, and another time the races started, but after rain on Friday and Sautrday, the Sunday events had to be called off.
While the loss of the races is disappointing to Musat, he said the biggest loss was the $20,000 the races raise for charity each year. But there may be something done for the charities, he said, adding they were still talking with sponsors.
The races didn’t only benefit charities, though; many businesses saw sales increase over the weekend, as racers and fans booked hotel room, ate at local restaurants, and shopped, said Community Futures director Jane Palmer.
“Certainly, it’s an added bonus,” she said of the increased business, adding that the dollars spent over the weekend by visitors was “significant.”
The CF office looks after tourism and promotion for the county, and Palmer said the Festival of Speed was also a great way to help market the area.
