Innisfil man's 28-foot whale sculpture captivates community

An Innisfil man is keeping tradition alive and making waves in his neighbourhood with his latest snow sculpture creation.

Ken Weichel has been creating massive snow sculptures on his front lawn for more than five years, captivating the community.

His latest creation is a 28-foot-long whale that took over 30 hours to complete and has captured plenty of attention.

Ken Weichel, of Innisfil, Ont., carves a whale out of snow and ice on his front yard on Tues., Feb. 7, 2023. (CTV News/Molly Frommer)

"We did the carving last night. The streets have been busy since 5:30 this morning, with people going by," Weichel said.

He said he creates the whimsical sculptures for his three grandchildren, Austin, Paisley, and Scarlett.

"It's pretty fun because you can go play on it anytime, and I like sliding down it. We get to look at every sculptor every year," Austin said.

"I like the flippers the most," noted Paisley, while Scarlett said she most enjoys the slide.

Ken Weichel's three grandchildren enjoy climbing on the massive whale he created out of snow on his front lawn in Innisfil, Ont. (CTV News/Molly Frommer)

"We have all kinds of kids coming by the neighbourhood to look at it," Weichel said. "School buses drive to stop by and stop, but it's mainly for them [grandkids] to play on it."

He says he hasn't yet decided what next year's sculpture will be, having created ice castles, Olaf, and a tortoise in the past.