Windsor woman builds igloo with 267 custom-made ice bricks

A Windsor resident built an igloo on her property using nearly 300 homemade ice blocks. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

A Windsor resident has brought the community together by building an igloo with dozens of custom made ice blocks during the recent polar vortex.

Heather Teahan started the project on Monday when temperatures plunged.

Using disposable loaf trays, she froze water on her back deck to create 267 bricks of ice.

After four days of making bricks, work began to construct the actual igloo.

“It took about seven hours, from 4 p.m. until midnight on Friday, to make it,” said Teahan. “Friends and family helped, along with neighbors. We even had a door-to-door sales guy from Cogeco stop by, and he ended up helping put some bricks together.”

The igloo has since become an attraction of sorts, drawing not only neighbours around the block, but also visitors from across the city.

“Some people have stopped and pulled up from their cars so we’ve invited them to come out and climb inside,” said Teahan.

She said her daughter and friends have even furnished the inside of the icy dome with a chair and table.

Building the igloo was not without its challenges, however.

According to Teahan, the most difficult part was forming the roof and making sure the structure stayed intact.

“I’d say the angle at the top was the hardest, and getting the right mixture of snow and slush to make everything stick properly,” she said. “We had to go three houses down and scrape all the snow off their front lawns just to have enough to make the whole thing hold. We also sent some kids to the park to bring back buckets of snow.”

The igloo lights up nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., creating a glowing spectacle for those who stop to see it.

“It really illuminates,” she said. “We put the light on every night, so people driving by can come take a look.”

Teahan said she hopes to turn this into an annual project.

“Earlier, I was looking online to see what else I could build with ice,” said Teahan, adding she’s considering building an ice castle next year.

As for how long the igloo will stay on her lawn, Teahan said that’s up to Mother Nature.

“Until it melts,” she said.