There’s at least one person who looks forward to the arrival of cold and snow every winter. Robert Aitkin, a retired city gardener and local neighbourhood good-guy from Waterloo, Ont., is the mastermind behind Iceopolis, an expansive ice sculpture garden located in his backyard.
Robert went viral on Facebook in January for posting photos and videos of his array of ice creations. Hundreds of commenters were captivated by his beautiful designs of towers, flowers, balloons, mushrooms, blocks, and miniature figurines. This is the fifth consecutive winter that Aitkin has been building Iceopolis, but he says he has never garnered as much attention and praise as this year.
“I couldn’t believe I was a Facebook sensation,” says Robert. “This was the best year for Iceopolis so far. It’s been one of the coldest and snowiest winters recently, so it’s been perfect conditions for ice sculpting.” Robert posts all of his pictures to his Facebook page and encourages anyone to look through them.
Robert has built more than 100 sculptures this year, and he uses a variety of differently sized containers and moulds to create the unique shapes. “Sometimes I buy things that I don’t need if it has the most fascinating piece of plastic around it,” says Robert.
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He starts by using old milk cartons, takeout containers, pop bottles, and even balloons to make the shapes. To get the spires on the towers precise, he cuts an empty pop bottle in half and fills the top half with water, freezes it, and uses that to create the pyramid-like tops. As for the bottom of the bottles, Robert finds the grooves create a wonderful flower pattern when frozen. And for the dome and sphere shapes, he uses a balloon and cuts away the plastic after the water freezes inside.
Robert has looped strands of Christmas lights underneath the sculptures, so that they glow in bright blues, whites, and greens at night. He says it’s the most magical time for Iceopolis and when the “city” truly comes to life. “I discover new things every year,” he says. “New pieces to make ice in, new techniques for freezing, and new light displays that I like.”
The reaction from not only the Waterloo community but from all over Ontario has been tremendous, says Robert, who has done a flurry of interviews for various media outlets. He is happy to showcase his icy artwork to visitors and often does for friends, family, and neighbours. He even welcomes strangers to visit his humble abode to take a tour.
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“Iceopolis is about artistic expression, exercise, fresh air, staying close to my garden in the offseason, and it’s medicine for my mental health,” says Robert. “If I start to feel the winter blues, I put my coat and boots on and I go outside and play with ice. Some days, I spend hours out there. I hope to inspire others to do the same.”
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When it’s time for spring, Robert realizes the end of Iceopolis is near. But he’s not worried; “every year, I never mourn the loss of Iceopolis,” he says. Instead, Robert looks forward to spring and getting back out into his garden. As the warm weather approaches and Iceopolis begins to melt, he says it’s the perfect mechanism for watering his garden and getting it ready for spring planting.
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