CARIBOU, Maine — Since returning to her hometown of Caribou in 2017, Christina Kane-Gibson has been putting Caribou on the map with events like the Caribou Marathon and Thursdays on Sweden, and by going above and beyond in hosting BikeMaine last year. In early April, her efforts were recognized on a statewide level when Maine Gov. Janet Mills presented her with the Tourism Award for Innovation and Creativity.
Kane-Gibson, who didn’t know she had been nominated, was initially shocked upon learning that she’d won the award. She then began to ask around, and said it was “fun to uncover” that Caribou Tax Assessor Penny Thompson was the one who nominated her.
“She gave me a little packet of all the letters people wrote for me,” said Kane-Gibson, “and it really brought me to tears. These are people who work with me, and this is an award we should all share.”
Christina Kane-Gibson
Letters were written by about ten individuals, including Chef Joe Gervais of Northern Maine Brewing Company, Caribou JMG Specialist Valeria Waldemarson, Caribou residents Bruce and Gail Hagelstein, and Caribou City Manager Dennis Marker, as well as representatives of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, BikeMaine, and La Recolte, an Acadian band from Louisiana that performed during last year’s BikeMaine event.
Kane-Gibson said the city’s hosting of BikeMaine in particular was what spurred on the nomination, an event that she, along with city employees and volunteers, worked very hard to prepare for in Caribou.
The 2018 BikeMaine journey which began in central aroostook and ended in the St. John Valley, had an Acadian theme. Kane-Gibson said she knew the Valley would do an excellent job creating an Acadian atmosphere, so she decided to put on a different spin on the event.
“We got really creative and ended up working with the Louisiana Lafayette visitor’s bureau,” she said. “They have Cycle Zydeco, which is similar to BikeMaine, and they got involved and donated tickets and worked to get airfare and give away a trip to Louisiana.”
She said the trip offering showcased the connection Aroostook County has with Louisiana as “part of our nod to Acadian culture,” as well as the Cajun band that came up to perform.
“It highlights Aroostook County and shows the broader picture,” she said, “that, on a national level, we’re all connected.”
When BikeMaine shared a Facebook post congratulating Kane-Gibson on the award, she said it took some time just to “wrap my head around it.”
“One comment on the BikeMaine thread was from someone who said ‘and that’s why I’ll be back this summer,’” Kane-Gibson said. “That’s why we do what we do; we want people to come here and see what’s available and maybe decide to move here or start a business. We want to highlight everything we offer and show everyone how great it is to be here.”
Kane-Gibson and city staff have no plans of slowing down this year.
“We’re ramping up” city events and offerings, she said, and have been working throughout the winter to book acts for the upcoming Thursdays on Sweden series of bi-weekly summer street festivals.
As for the award itself, Kane-Gibson feels it’s something that needs to be shared with everybody involved with the city.
“The Caribou Parks and Rec Department has never failed to step up with any of these events,” she said. “The Public Works Department is always there setting up barricades, and the police and fire departments are always there for these events any time I call. It speaks to the community we have here; I just have to pick up the phone and they’ll say ‘Yup, we’re on it.’ From volunteers to actual city staff that care about this town, it’s nice to showcase what we have going on here.”
