by Janet Smellie
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan24/97) - Armed with an axe, a couple of machetes and a few tools, three Yellowknife artists are hoping to create a winner with "The Arctic Paradise," a sculpture they will build during an international competition in Quebec City.

Team captain Francois Thibault and fellow sculptors Dolphus Cadieux and Pierre Lapage will represent the NWT at the International Snow Sculpting Competition starting Jan. 31.

While this is Thibault's first time at the competition, Cadieux is no stranger to the contest, bringing home an artists choice award one year and judging the contest another.

Thibault says the team will start off with a block of ice measuring almost three metres on a side and they'll have three days to complete their work of art.

The design, created by Thibault, incorporates an iceberg and a bird with a family of polar bears.

"I hope we win. I think based on the creativity in our team we should be able to pull it off," Thibault says, adding Polar Parkas and Territorial Embroidery are busy creating special territorial apron-like work suits for them to wear during the competition.