NORTH BAY --
The Carnaval des Compagnons is in full swing with a 'Fun in the Outdoors' theme at Lee Park in North Bay.
It features bubble soccer, ice skating, horse-drawn carriage rides, maple toffee, hot chocolate and more, all free of charge. The family oriented day is one of the many events the Carnaval offers.
President of Les Compagnons, Michel Page, says it’s a great way to get families together.
"Le Carnival, this is our 57th edition of Le Carnival here in North Bay. It started out as a means to get families, Francophone families, together to play games and have activities and it’s still the same thing 57 years later. Here we are today at Lee Park with our families, on a winter day, with all sorts of great activities for the kids," said Page.
Lou Gagne, the Special Events Coordinator for Les Compagnons, says people come from all over to attend their activities and they try to give them what they want to see. This year, they have tried really hard to include something for everyone.
"So the people want it, we listen, we keep our ears to the ground and we bring the stuff that the people want. So, it’s important because they like to do things together so this is another event that the Compagnon, along with all their many sponsors, that we can bring this towards the community," said Gagne.
The cold weather wasn’t stopping people from coming together to enjoy all of the festivities.
Nipissing-Timiskaming MPP Anthony Rota Rota has been attending the Carnaval for over 50 years and says it’s an important event for the community.
"The weather’s a little bit cold but it’s warming up, the sun is warm, and everyone is enjoying themselves. It really is an important part of the Nipissing area, and of course Nipissing-Timiskaming being a large Francophone community it’s great that we all come together and celebrate our culture," said Rota.
The fun isn’t over quite yet, the Carnaval still has events lined up for tomorrow and Thursday.
A full event listing can be found on their website.
