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Artist to create ice sculpture for torch relay

As Maple Ridge prepares to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay on Monday, final touches are being put on the local festivities, which includes huge ice sculpture of Canada’s national symbol – a maple leaf.

Master sculptor Zygmunt Kida will be creating the ice sculpture on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Memorial Peace Park.

The public is encouraged to come and watch as he creates an eight-foot-high maple leaf out of ice blocks.

Born in Rzeszow, Poland, Kida obtained a master’s degree in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poland and now lives in Coquitlam.

Kida, or ‘Ziggy,’ as he likes to be called, uses a variety of mediums and many different tools to create his sculptures.

Not only has he participated in previous Spirit of Wood Festivals and other wood carving events, he is an avid participant in international ice sculpture competitions, including a recent competition in Poland.

Using a maple leaf as the theme for his local Olympic Torch Relay sculpture was a given for Kida. “Not only is the maple leaf Canada’s national symbol, it is also the official symbol for Maple Ridge,” Kida said.

“When a maple leaf falls from a tree, it starts to dry. It changes colour, shape and form and looks naturally different. The maple leaf creates the most beautiful arches and waves I have ever seen.”

Kida’s maple leaf ice sculpture will be featured as part of the Maple Ridge Olympic Torch Relay festivities on Monday, from 6:15 a.m. to 8 a.m. in Memorial Peace Park.