Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 29/99) - "The city paid $32,000 to be a friend of democracy; if they want to be a friend of monarchy they're going to have to kick down too."

Though talking about the lack of interest in his kingdom from city hall, the Snow King is saying more about a change that has come over himself this year.

For each of the past five years, the Snow King, a.k.a. houseboater Anthony Foliot, has spent countless hours constructing snow castles near his Yellowknife Bay home.

The main question the castles provoked was "Why?" Until now, the stock answer was "Why not?"

This year the Snow King, along with igloo-builder Eddie Kolausok, is teaming up with the John Howard Society and the Yellowknife Association for Community Living to turn the snow castle into a charity fund-raiser.

And that means introducing an element the project has so far been able to do with out -- organization.

"I don't like all the meetings, but I fully understand it's necessary," said Foliot. "From a volunteer's point of view, you get to understand the effort it takes to organize events like the Caribou Carnival."

A host of activities are planned around this year's edition of the castle.

A theatre that forms the centrepiece to the structure will host Snow King and the Great Divide, a sequel to last year's play, Snow King.

Kolausok will be the focus of an igloo-fun, fund-raising event. For seven days Kolausok will be living in an igloo he is building next to the snow castle's skating rink. During that time he will be taking pledges for the Yellowknife chapter of the John Howard Society.

A Snow King's Royal Ice Ball, a dance and party in the castle is also planned.

With his more organized approach, and help from friends, the Snow King this year has developed his own Web site, Snow King song, post cards and brochures. A coffee shop will adjoin the snow castle.

The change of approach has also changed the Snow King -- time he would have spent considering the next addition to the castle is now spent talking about promotional material, attendance projections and returns, advertising discounts and meetings just finished and those about to take place.

Those who think these changes are the start of a more dramatic and irreversible change in both the Snow King and his creation should think again.

The Snow King said community spirit and cost-free fun are the main goals of his efforts. That and filling what he perceives as a huge gap in city planning -- "It's pretty lame when Yellowknife's biggest resource is snow, and what do we have to offer? Nothing."