2009 Bon Soo lineup announced

Canadian Country Music Award winners Doc Walker from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba will be the OLG concert headliners at the 2009 Ontario Winter Carnival Bon Soo, organizers announced last night.

We also learned that Bon Soo's opening ceremonies will take place at a new location, and that Snomadness has significantly reduced the number of days it will host events.

Opening-night ceremonies will no longer be at the Roberta Bondar tent pavilion, but at the Tim Horton's Winter Playground in Bellevue Park, completing Bon Soo's move to that venue.

The Esquire Club and Labatt's will supply on-site barbecue and licensed beverages that night and entertainment will be provided by K.T. Antler and Nikki Levesque, as well as Rihanna and Elton John tribute acts sponsored by RBC.

Ontario Forest Research Institute will allow the public to use its parking lot on opening night, in addition to the usual parking at Pine Street Marina.

Snomadess, previously a 10-day event, will now take place over just four days, again generously sponsored by RBC.

Most Snomadness events will take place at Bellevue Park.

Other changes for 2009

- With generous assistance from TD Canada Trust, a children's craft corner will be held in the cafeteria at White Pines after the Smudge Fundaes Kids Concert at Kiwanis Community Centre. This will be included in the regular ticket price.

- There will be public ice skating for the first time at Bellevue Park, sponsored by CIBC.

- There's a new prize on the Bon Soo button cards - four tickets for the ACR Snow Train, plus Elite Limousine service in a 2008 Ford Expedition stretch limo.

- Royal Canadian Legion will be bringing back the Bon Soo cribbage tournament.

- Sault White Cane Matinee Group will sponsor a Frosty Tea.

- Tree Top Adventures will offer a special Bon Soo Valentine's Day event, Swing With Your Sweetheart, at its location in Goulais River, and will also create an obstacle course at Bellevue Park.

- Algoma Youth Alliance will host a Blizzard Soccer Ball Tourney at Bellevue Park.

- Sault Ste. Marie Gymnastics Club will host Toasty Tumbling.

- Canadian Red Cross will offer a pasta dinner at the Union Hall.

- There's a new snow sculptor for the Winter Playground - Karen Fralich. She's from Burlington, Ontario and is a three-time world champion in the sand-sculpting competititions.

- More warming tents will be sponsored by Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation.

- Avery Construction will provide extended sleigh rides.

- New York Fries will sponsor extended haywagon rides.

- A special trail of illuminated metal snowflakes will run from Pine Street Marina into Bellevue Park, thanks to APR Welding, TI Automotive, Pascuzzi and Berlingieri Law Firm, Calam Ruscio Rossi Accountants, Huron Superior Catholic District School Board, Steelworkers Local 2724 and Northern Credit Union.

- The Bon Soo paper place mats are coming back, courtesy of Sault This Week. You'll find them at Knight's Inn, Boots and Saddles, Sandro's, New York Fries, Ernie's Coffee Shop, Uncle Gino's, Gourmet Stop, Ricardo's, Muio's, the Nicolet, Burger King, Golden Dragon, Hong Kong and Sun Kwong.

- Local artist Donna Holmburg will creat a special Bon Soo sculpture at Station Mall. You can watch her work and even talk to her.

- Great Northern Hotel and Conference Centre will host a Second City Comedy Night.