University of Alberta International House students build igloo to cope with winter

International and Canadian University of Alberta students decided to embrace winter brick by icy brick.

Built using milk cartons to make the bricks, students living in the university’s International House joined together to make an igloo to cope with the colder months.

Romanian student Tudor Apan led the igloo-building campaign, saying building the winter structure was a unique experience.

“It was so hard, especially at the end because I think I swallowed a lot of snow and water,” he said, adding a lot of students pitched in during the build. “It’s also symbolic with all the colours and multiculturalism.”

The igloo took two weeks to build, with the opening ceremonies held on Dec. 19 with students at-hand.

Students started collecting milk cartons at the beginning of the semester to build the igloo, with a competition for whoever collected the most milk cartons getting fairly competitive, according to IHouse students.

“I spent a lot of hours rinsing milk cartons but it was worth it,” said Kathrin Kapfinger, a student from Germany who won for collecting the most milk cartons.

Many students living in the campus residence are visiting from countries without snow and campus staff said the igloo represents a sense of community for the students.

“When people are away from home, it’s really important that they can create wonderful things where they’re at, share and come together on projects like this. It’s symbolic of the diversity of all the people that are building it,” said Leslie Weigl, global education coordinator with IHouse.

The igloo is open for anyone on the front of the IHouse property at 8801 111 Street.