Hanna, Alta. residents rally around call for snowmen

Residents in the central Alberta community of Hanna built snowman to help spread some cheer during during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Nadine Kohlman)

Hanna, Alta. — With communities facing the many challenges in the fight against COVID-19, one central Alberta town has taken a creative approach.

Nadine Kohlman, a hairdresser in Hanna, Alta., decided to put out a call over Facebook for residents to build the most creative snowman they could, with the winner receiving a small bundle of shampoo and conditioner.

More than 50 homes in the town responded.

"You drive around town and there’s snowmen everywhere, it’s great," said Brenda Frobb, who lives in Hanna. "There were kids, grandparents, everybody was out making snowmen."

Frobb noted people in the town maintained physical distancing guidelines during the building process.

Accustomed to her salon being one of the social hubs in the community, Kohlman could feel the toll being taken by physical distancing and isolation.

She said she launched the competition to try and get people back together.

"I put out the call originally because I have a few children, and it’s fun to play in the snow," said Kohlman.

"It’s good for us to be with our families, and this was a way of doing it."

Like other Alberta communities, Kohlman suggested Hanna residents have struggled with everyday life grinding to a halt.

"There’s some normalcy, but it’s really weird not doing stuff together, because our community is really family-oriented," she said.

"Seeing people outside, young and old, with smiling faces, it’s exciting."

Kohlman said the highlight for her was when she noticed children building a snowman family on the lawn of a senior citizen's home.

"Seeing a snowman on their lawn, even though they didn’t create it, brought them so much joy," said Kohlman. "It was really cool to see."

Kohlman said she plans to announce the winner of the competition Monday afternoon.

As for plans for future competitions, Kohlman said she’s already considering a stained window challenge in collaboration with another local business.

When finalized, Kohlman will announce the plan via Facebook.