The city of Fort St. John is exploring ways to revamp the 2026 edition of the High on Ice Winter Festival.
City staff reviewed the 2025 edition at the latest meeting of council, noting it brought many challenges due to extreme cold and high costs.
In 2025, the festival took place from February 14 to 17. The four-day event only attracted a strong crowd on warmer days, making it very weather dependent.
The city reported that some activities drew more engagement than others, such as the slides, which attracted more than 21,000 visitors.
Financially, staff said the city received about $146,000 in Sponsorships and grants, which only covered the cost of hiring ice carvers and regular staff.
City staff recommend shifting to a month-long event with a spread-out schedule to help sustain attendance numbers regardless of weather.
The proposal would focus on smaller, more frequent events organized with local groups. The goal is to step away from a large, concentrated festival to reduce costs and diversify activities.
Staff are also considering moving away from the “High on Ice” name and rebranding the event as “Winter Fest.”