Winter Carnival Caravan to depart Feb. 10
The 2012 Maine Winter Carnival Caravan will gather at Dean’s Hotel in Portage Lake on Feb. 10 for breakfast and an official send off.
Trail master, Jim Dumond, will lead the group west to Maibec for coffee and donuts, and then on to the border crossing at St. Pamphile.
The Caravan will then proceed on to Quebec City crossing the St. Lawrence via the ferry at Levis. Enjoyment of the Winter Carnival, tour of the Quebec Parliament and a reception at the Mayor’s office at City Hall will be part of the weekend.
The first trip in 1957, which was to explore the possibility of a highway through to Canada, consisted of 10 to 15 cars which departed from the Stewart Hotel in Ashland heading west on the Reality Road. One-third of the trip was on the Reality Road, the remaining two-thirds of the trip were on narrow and winding roads with many steep hills including support vehicles along with a jeep equipped with a power wench, tents, sleeping bags, snowshoes and cooking utensils. All vehicles were equipped with chains and emergency supplies.
Members of the original group of 22 participants included chairman Arthur Collier, Pete Sawyer, Senate President John H. Reed (later future Governor), Oscar “Voscar” Nelder, Lawrence Michaud, Kermit Crandall, Maurice Knowles and WAGM representative Lester “Red” Hughes.
For information and registration on the 2012 Maine Quebec Winter Carnival Caravan, visit the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce website at www.centralaroostookchamber.com or call the Chamber at 764-6561 or Sarah Brooks at 551-6471.
