The Bon Soo Winter Carnival started with a community of individuals coming together in the spirit of fun to create an enjoyable event for all ages! The inception of an event began in 1963, but it wasn’t until a year later that the Bon Soo Winter Carnival became an official and annual event. Bon Soo was created and designed by local artist Ken MacDougall in 1963 to symbolize the winter carnival, and the name for the character sprang from the imagination of an elementary school student, Donald Norman. Call it a bit of winter magic!
Throughout the years, the Bon Soo Winter Carnival has fostered a spirit of inclusivity and a coming together of the Sault Ste. Marie community. The festival has been a way to show off the Northern Ontario hospitality, as well as provide a fun and entertaining break during the dark winter months. By increasing fun-filled activities for all ages year-over-year, the city has steadily grown the carnival to being the largest winter carnival in Northern Ontario!
Since its humble beginnings, the Bon Soo Winter Carnival has been led and run by volunteers - people within the community who love where they live and want to create something cool (no pun intended!). The spirit of Bon Soo continues on to this day as a small, dedicated team and board of volunteers work hard to put together a week of activities for all to enjoy.
