As a father of two young children, I am reminded at this time of year how we all start out thrilled by winter. My five-year-old daughter runs to the window every morning when she wakes up, hoping for snow. I did the same at her age. Even in our teen years, with snow sports and bonfires, winter brings some of our fullest, most exciting days.
But somewhere along the line, perhaps with shovelling and long winter commutes to work, many of us lose sight of that excitement. The word "winter" is most often uttered by adults as part of a complaint. So it's been a thrill for us at Graphos to begin our second year with the people at WinterCity Edmonton, working to restore the magic and excitement of our most wondrous season.
Even in that short time, we've come a long way. This year the initiative has a brand new logo design, and the 2015/16 Winter Excitement Guide is fuller than ever with fun events and family-friendly activities. It's a thrill to help Edmonton take its place as a world leading winter city. We should all take pride in how far we've come, and owe it to ourselves to re-learn how to celebrate winter!
Get out there and enjoy our river valley Winter Chalets, the more than 100 community league skating rinks, and the 119 winter events in our city. It's all in the guide, available at libraries and rec centres citywide or in digital form on the City of Edmonton Website.