Wright began sculpting snow in 1994 after somebody had suggested that since she carved stone, she might enjoy carving snow. Since that first sculpture, Theressa has designed and been the lead sculptor / captain at events ranging across the country (Charlottetown, Quebec City, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Whitehorse) as well as in several Saskatchewan communities. Ouelette began sculpting snow in 2006 because it was something he could do with Theressa. Since 2006, he has worked on 28 sculptures with Theressa across Canada and overseas in Harbin China, Pontebba Italy, and Kiruna Sweden. The creation of the piece, if one were to stand back and watch for a while, seems to just happen as the tandem cut away chunks of snow here and there on the block, but it is actually a process that has been carefully planned.
YORKTON A pair of artists shared their unique craft with Yorkton residents, with hopes of spreading some cheer in the community. Earlier this year, Team Snow Art made up of Theressa Wright and Terry Ouellette sculpted a big “Saskatoon Hug” in their front yard in the Bridge City. After seeing the project on Twitter, the City of Yorkton decided it needed a hug, too. The inspiration was something like ours. I never do anything twice, so it had to be something different, but have the same sort of feel, said Wright. It took her around 40 hours to come up with Yorkton’s design, which is called “Huggable.”
In early stages of the disease, symptoms many people living with dementia can experience allow them to continue with their usual life and personal routines. Varying levels of assistance and support may be required; these are as varied as the individual’s symptoms and the progression of the disease. Often, this support is provided by family members until symptoms advance to the point where long-term care facilities may be advised. Both the disease and the support required can take a heavy toll on the people affected, and often results in social isolation. As we all know from COVID practices, even the simple pleasure of shopping or going out for coffee may pose a greater risk for seniors and may make such tasks for people living with dementia out of reach.