PORTAGE, Maine — Plans for the 53rd annual Maine-Quebec Winter Carnival Caravan are currently under way.
This year’s event will begin with a buffet breakfast at Dean’s Motor Lodge in Portage at 6 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. Departure is scheduled for 7 a.m., with participants proceeding to the first stop at Clayton Lake for the traditional coffee, doughnut and restroom break. “We will proceed to St. Pamphile to cross the border into Canada. From there, the caravan will proceed to Quebec City, Canada, via your choice of the Levi ferry or the Louis Laporte Bridge,” said Theresa Fowler, executive director, Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, an event organizer.
Danny Cameron will serve as trail master, outfitted with a special radio system to communicate to other traffic using the logging roads the group will be traveling.
“Each vehicle will carry a two-way radio provided by Aroostook Technologies, Inc. In addition to the need from a safety point, the radios have proved to be of great entertainment value,” she said.
This traditional caravan will coincide with the final weekend of the 56th Quebec Winter Carnival, held in Quebec City. The carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world, according to Fowler, with approximately one million people attending during the two-week-long event.
The annual trek is a longstanding tradition in this area.
“The Maine-Quebec Caravan’s history goes back to 1957 when a group of Aroostook County people departed in early February to ‘blaze a road’ through the North Maine Woods to Quebec. The date coincided with the Quebec Carnival which had started just three years earlier,” Fowler said.
According to the PIACC director, 20 or so travelers were in the first group that undertook the journey, which followed the Realty Rd. to Clayton Lake.
“From there, the roads were nothing more than skidder trails. The caravan was outfitted with emergency gear and some support vehicles, including a Sno-Cat snowmobile. Part of the route was over newly-bulldozed roads,” continued Fowler.
She said over the next few years the caravan became an annual event that, at one point, saw close to 200 participants.
“Caravans in the 1950s and ‘60s were met with police escorts and participants were traditionally guests of the city of Quebec and the Quebec Winter Carnival,” said Fowler.
Fowler said past accounts indicate that these caravan trips have provided many adventures.
“The 1959 caravan had 92 people and 32 vehicles. Due to storms and impassable roads, only two cars initially made it to Quebec City. Other vehicles arrived the next day,” said Fowler.
Along the way, Fowler said caravan members came upon a family form Quebec whose car had been marooned in the fierce storm.
“The driver was found unconscious, draped over a guardrail in minus 26 degree weather. From all accounts that can be found, it appears the driver survived,” she said.
The caravan also made U.S. postal history.
“In 1960, the first bag of mail delivered to Clayton Lake via the Realty Rd. was taken by the caravan. Prior to this delivery, all mail had been delivered through Canada,” Fowler said.
The caravan was originally organized by the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, explained Fowler.
“In 2002, the Ashland Rotary Club undertook the re-establishment of the event. Northern Maine Community College helped with the 50th anniversary trip. This year, it seems appropriate that the PIACC, which serves Ashland, Portage, Masardis and Oxbow, along with nine other communities, will be gathering registration information,” said Fowler.
It is anticipated that participants will attend a reception at the Quebec City mayor’s office and have an opportunity to tour the Quebec Legislature, in addition to all of the Quebec Winter Carnival activities that will be going on.
“There will be dances, sleigh races and rides, dogsled races, snow slides, snow rafting, a night parade, plus other entertainment and shows throughout the city. If you have never experienced Quebec Carnival, this is a great opportunity to have two unique experiences at once,” said Fowler.
The registration fee is $25 per person. Any proceeds will be donated to a local charity. Room reservations in Quebec are the responsibility of the participant.
“The return trip is on your own, re-entering the United States at a port of your own choice,” said Fowler.
Passports/proper identification are required to cross the border.
For more information, contact the PIACC at 764-6561 or e-mail tfowler@pichamber.com.
This year’s event will begin with a buffet breakfast at Dean’s Motor Lodge in Portage at 6 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12. Departure is scheduled for 7 a.m., with participants proceeding to the first stop at Clayton Lake for the traditional coffee, doughnut and restroom break. “We will proceed to St. Pamphile to cross the border into Canada. From there, the caravan will proceed to Quebec City, Canada, via your choice of the Levi ferry or the Louis Laporte Bridge,” said Theresa Fowler, executive director, Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, an event organizer.
Danny Cameron will serve as trail master, outfitted with a special radio system to communicate to other traffic using the logging roads the group will be traveling.
“Each vehicle will carry a two-way radio provided by Aroostook Technologies, Inc. In addition to the need from a safety point, the radios have proved to be of great entertainment value,” she said.
This traditional caravan will coincide with the final weekend of the 56th Quebec Winter Carnival, held in Quebec City. The carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world, according to Fowler, with approximately one million people attending during the two-week-long event.
The annual trek is a longstanding tradition in this area.
“The Maine-Quebec Caravan’s history goes back to 1957 when a group of Aroostook County people departed in early February to ‘blaze a road’ through the North Maine Woods to Quebec. The date coincided with the Quebec Carnival which had started just three years earlier,” Fowler said.
According to the PIACC director, 20 or so travelers were in the first group that undertook the journey, which followed the Realty Rd. to Clayton Lake.
“From there, the roads were nothing more than skidder trails. The caravan was outfitted with emergency gear and some support vehicles, including a Sno-Cat snowmobile. Part of the route was over newly-bulldozed roads,” continued Fowler.
She said over the next few years the caravan became an annual event that, at one point, saw close to 200 participants.
“Caravans in the 1950s and ‘60s were met with police escorts and participants were traditionally guests of the city of Quebec and the Quebec Winter Carnival,” said Fowler.
Fowler said past accounts indicate that these caravan trips have provided many adventures.
“The 1959 caravan had 92 people and 32 vehicles. Due to storms and impassable roads, only two cars initially made it to Quebec City. Other vehicles arrived the next day,” said Fowler.
Along the way, Fowler said caravan members came upon a family form Quebec whose car had been marooned in the fierce storm.
“The driver was found unconscious, draped over a guardrail in minus 26 degree weather. From all accounts that can be found, it appears the driver survived,” she said.
The caravan also made U.S. postal history.
“In 1960, the first bag of mail delivered to Clayton Lake via the Realty Rd. was taken by the caravan. Prior to this delivery, all mail had been delivered through Canada,” Fowler said.
The caravan was originally organized by the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, explained Fowler.
“In 2002, the Ashland Rotary Club undertook the re-establishment of the event. Northern Maine Community College helped with the 50th anniversary trip. This year, it seems appropriate that the PIACC, which serves Ashland, Portage, Masardis and Oxbow, along with nine other communities, will be gathering registration information,” said Fowler.
It is anticipated that participants will attend a reception at the Quebec City mayor’s office and have an opportunity to tour the Quebec Legislature, in addition to all of the Quebec Winter Carnival activities that will be going on.
“There will be dances, sleigh races and rides, dogsled races, snow slides, snow rafting, a night parade, plus other entertainment and shows throughout the city. If you have never experienced Quebec Carnival, this is a great opportunity to have two unique experiences at once,” said Fowler.
The registration fee is $25 per person. Any proceeds will be donated to a local charity. Room reservations in Quebec are the responsibility of the participant.
“The return trip is on your own, re-entering the United States at a port of your own choice,” said Fowler.
Passports/proper identification are required to cross the border.
For more information, contact the PIACC at 764-6561 or e-mail tfowler@pichamber.com.
