WestIslandKids.com

Now that winter is finally here, several West Island communities are organizing some fun outdoor activities for the entire family.

Here are some to keep in mind when looking for things to do with your children.

Pointe Claire Winter Ice Breaker

On Saturday January 21st, 2012 Pointe-Claire will hold a Winter Ice Break event from noon to 4:00 pm. They will have a BBQ, dog sledding and ice sculptures as some of the featured activities. For more information and directions to the event visit their Winter Ice Break information page.

Kirkland Carnival 2012

Although the Kirkland Carnival runs from Wednesday January 25, 2012 to Saturday January 28, 2012 the majority of the family activities will take place on Saturday the 28th of January at Meades Park and Sports Complex between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Activities include face painting, crafts, sleigh rides, ice sculptures, inflatables and outdoor games. For a full schedule and more information download the event brochure at The Kirkland Winter Carnival site.

Family Skate Day in Pointe-Claire

On Saturday, February 4th, 2012 Pointe-Claire will have a Family Skate Day at Hermitage Park from noon to 4:00 pm.

Dorval Winter Festival 2012

Dorval will host a winter festival from February 8th - February 12th, 2012. Events include sleigh rides, winter inflatables, entertainers and refreshments. A complete schedule of activities can be found on their Winter Festival Dorval 2012 page.

Dollard des Ormeaux Winter Carnival 2012

This year’s winter carnival in DDO takes place on Sunday February 12th, 2012 from noon to 4:00 pm. Some activities offered include horse drawn carriages, inflatables, ice sculpting and tobogganing. Visit Dollard-des-Ormeaux Winter Carnival Page for an up to date list of activities.

Sainte Anne de Bellevue Winter Carnival 2012

The winter carnival in Sainte Anne de Bellevue takes place from February 16th to the 19th, 2012. Friday night a disco on ice skating party at Parc Aumais. Saturday activities start at noon with sleigh rides, ice sculptures, inflatables and refreshments. Saturday evening there will be a food tasting from many of the village merchants followed by a fireworks show at 8:00 pm. Visit the Winter Carnival 2012 page for complete details.

Fête des neiges de Montréal

If you can’t get enough of winter activities on the West Island, the city of Montreal has more activites as part of it’s winter festival that takes place over three weekends starting January 21st. More information is avalable on the Fête des neiges de Montréal 2012 site.

The Québec Winter Carnival

Let’s not forget the world’s largest winter carnival just hours away in Quebec city. This year it runs from January 27th to February 12th, 2012. The Official Site of the Quebec Winter Carnival has all the details planned for this years event.

Every year Canada Post offers an opportunity for your children to write to Santa and receive a letter back from him. You can find details about this in our Letters to Santa post.

This year, instead of just a letter why not create an individuaized video straight from the North Pole. The process is easy and free. In just a few simple steps you can create a customized video from Santa to your children, friends or family. Your video could be for a child or adult who has been either naughty or nice this past year. Visit the site Portable North Pole and click on the Start Here button. You will be asked to provide some information about the person you want to send the video to and in a few minutes you will receive a link to your video. A simple and fun gift your children, famly and friends can enjoy. Merry Christmas from the West Island Kids Team!

If you are looking for something to do on the weekend of November 5th and 6th, there will be a science fair for children of all ages at Stewart Hall in Pointe-Claire. Members of Concordia University will be presenting a variety of science exhibits from different engineering and science departments. The fair is organized as an outreach program by the university to promote children’s interest in science.

This event will be held on Saturday November 5th and Sunday November 6th between 10am and 5pm at Stewart Hall. Stewart Hall is located at 176 Lakeshore in Pointe Claire ( just east of St-John’s Boulevard). Admission is free.

For more information on this Exposcience event contact either Miriam Posner at 514-848-2424, ext. 3361, or Cameron Tilson at 514-848-2424, ext. 7976.

Help A West Island School and You Could Win $10,000

St. Paul’s lead is dwindling as an Alberta school is making a strong run to take first place. We need your help to maintain our lead. You can vote once per day until November 4th and each vote gives you a possibility of winning $10,000 as well.

St. Paul Elementary School in Beaconsfield was chosen as one of 10 finalists in a cross Canada contest to win a customized outdoor classroom valued at $20,000. St. Paul’s is the only school in Quebec to reach the finals and can use everyone’s help to win the top prize.

The winner is chosen by popular vote online. Just like on American Idol and similar shows, the final decision rests with the public. You can cast your vote for free on MajestaTreesofKnowledge.ca. Voting is open until November 4th and you are allowed to vote once per day. Voting is as simple as entering your email account and making your selection. Let’s see what West Islanders, and in fact all Quebecers can do to get one of its own schools to grab the top prize.

About the Competition

Majasta, a toilet paper company, sponsored a contest that was open to all schools across Canada in an effort to promote greater environmental awareness. Schools submitted their eco-friendly projects to a panel of judges. Ten schools from across Canada were chosen as the finalists and the public is now able to vote online to determine which school will be the winner. To cast your vote visit MajestaTreesofKnowledge.ca