Working as a team, Koehler Weir, Aly Boyer and Rowan Weir successfully manoeuvred themselves using the tandem snowshoes during MacGregor’s Survival Challenge February 19 at MacGregor Point Provincial Park.

Hub Staff

Timed trials of family fun took place February 19 at MacGregor Point Provincial Park during the second annual Survival Challenge, just one of the exciting family-friendly activities held during the park’s Family Day weekend Snow Fest 2017.

Four teams of four took part in five different group activities from the physical challenge of all team members manning two shared blocks of wood in the tandem snowshoe, to building a tent out of sticks, to even starting their own fire. The weekend was put together by the Friends of MacGregor Point Park who hosted a wiener roast and served hot chocolate while the challenge took place.

Friends volunteer Matthew Cunliffe, who is also the park’s Natural Heritage Education Leader, said the teams that took part in the Survival Challenge were on par or even a “bit better” than last year’s teams. “I think the teams are doing really well. I think the sunshine is kind of motivating everyone,” said Cunliffe February 19 on a warm and sunny February day.

Cunliffe said that some teams found the logic puzzle difficult while others had trouble with the campfire building challenge. Teams were provided with small sticks and newspaper and had to burn through a string that would raise a team’s flag, signalling completion of the challenge. “If you're not used to building a campfire then it would definitely be the hardest,” he said, adding that the logic puzzle which contained different symbols “seems to trip everyone up a little bit”.

Cunliffe admitted to having been a guinea pig and doing some test trials of the course. “This is tried and tested by park staff,” he said, adding that his best event in the challenge would be the tandem snowshoe. “It’s the most fun when your group misses a step, it’s usually good for a laugh”.

Other events during Snow Fest 2017 included a Birding for Beginners hike, an evening Owl Prowl, informative sessions with a Park Naturalist regarding animal winter habits and a dog-sled demonstration.

Four teams challenged themselves, not to mention each other, during timed trials at MacGreogor’s Survival Challenge, February 19.

The second challenge in the timed trial was a world puzzle.

Green team member Koehler Weir of Southampton swiftly helped complete his team’s word puzzle.

Despite being the underdogs of their timed trial, the red team, also known as “Faze Clan”, successfully started their fire first, however the yellow team’s string burned through more quickly.

The strong yellow team’s fire allowed them to clinch first in their trial with a time of 15:32.

Team members of the yellow team were Rebecca Morris (red) Tyler Munro and Amy Munro (blue) who had travelled from Caledon and Huntsville to spend their annual weekend at the park.