He’s furry, he’s friendly — and, let’s be honest — he’s the coolest mascot around. Meet Blizzard the Yeti who, come fall 2022, will be extending warm greetings to Bell View and Edgemont students when they come together to form the new Glacier Hills Elementary.

The school’s logo, snow-loving mascot, and official colors — icy shades of blue and white — are the byproduct of months of input from students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community leaders. They were brought to life by CSD Graphic Designer Jeff Olson who unveiled a life-sized cardboard cutout of Blizzard at an Oct. 21, 2021 logo reveal party. Hundreds of Bell View and Edgemont students and their families joined Canyons Board of Education Vice President Steve Wrigley and Glacier Hills Principal Julie Winfree for the unveiling, hoping to snap a photo with the seven-foot-tall Blizzard and get a sneak peek at the architectural renderings of their new school.

Third grader Violet Gorman came with the express purpose of congratulating the Yeti’s creator. She even donned a snowflake tiara and white furry coat for the occasion. “Violet had Jeff (Olson) for art class this summer, and she was thrilled to meet the Yeti …and tell everyone that her art teacher designed Blizzard. We are thrilled with Blizzard!” said Violet’s mom Katy Wittingham.

With an anticipated opening date of August, 2022, construction of Glacier Hills is well underway, and Winfree has been working to acquaint students with their new Yeti identity. The students were invited to submit ideas for naming Blizzard, a short-list of which was put to popular classroom votes.

“Blizzard was the clear front-runner,” Winfree said at the unveiling where the announcement met with hoots and enthusiastic applause.

The name Glacier Hills reflects the prominent glacier-cut canyons located just east of the new campus. Little Cottonwood and Bell canyons were cut by the longest glaciers in the Wasatch Range and the only glaciers to reach the edge of what was once Lake Bonneville. “Our focus group made it clear they wanted a new identity to bring these schools together, something unique to set the school apart and generate excitement about a shared campus and shared future,” Winfree said.

Despite a weather-related delays, and challenges posed by supply and labor shortages, crews with Hogan & Associates Construction are making good time on the new school, which is being built on the Edgemont campus. Most of the structural steel framework is in place as crews look next to pouring concrete floors and installing storm drain and electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems.

Winfree has also been working hard to build other pivotal supports for the school, including forming the school’s PTA and launching a website to keep families informed. Future Yetis can also find updates about their new school on Twitter and, soon, on Instagram.

“It’s a great day to be a Yeti and exciting to see the beautiful designs of MHTN Architects take shape. So much care is going into making this a warm, welcoming space – a school as legendary at the Yeti name implies,” Winfree said.