Travelers will be taking an unconventional route from Maine, destined for Quebec City and Winter Carnival festivities, on Friday, Feb. 15 — making for quite a memorable adventure for participants as they wind their way through the North Maine Woods.
“February 2013 marks the 56th anniversary of the first caravan that left Ashland and traveled west to the Canadian border and onward to Quebec City for their Winter Carnival. The purpose of the first caravan was to have a road through the Maine woods that would connect northern Maine with Quebec. This undertaking was done by area businessmen and chambers of commerce who wanted to have a viable route west, especially for the woods/lumber industry,” said Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Theresa Fowler, one of the event organizers.
The first caravan in the winter of 1957 had a crew of adventurers. Support vehicles such as fuel trucks, emergency vehicles, support with communications from Loring Air Force Base, law enforcement, news reporters and photographers were part of the first expedition.
“The trips that continued through the rest of the ‘50s and into the ‘60s saw up to 220 participants and many adventurers. The first mail delivered to Clayton Lake via Maine was delivered by the caravan in 1960. Gov. John H. Reed signed a bill to authorize a survey and plans for establishing a route through the Maine woods. A Quebec family, stranded in a snowstorm, was rescued by members of the caravan,” said Brooks.
“The state of Maine had an official Maine Day as part of Quebec’s festivities. Thus, the relationship with Quebec City and their Winter Carnival was established with future trips through the Maine woods,” continued Brooks, noting the route became much better over the years.
Fowler said in the early 2000s the caravan was re-established by the Ashland Rotary Club, with assistance from Northern Maine Community College, and is now being coordinated by the CACC in Presque Isle.
“Recent trips have also seen interesting events: a marriage ceremony was performed at Clayton Lake in 2004; a geological narration of the land between Ashland and the St. Lawrence was given by Dr. William Forbes from Presque Isle; humorist Gary Crocker and “Survivor” winner Bob Crowley provided comic entertainment one year; a Maine legislative proclamation recognized the 50th anniversary of the caravan and was presented in Chambers at City Hall in Quebec City,” said Fowler, adding, “members of the Paradis family from Frenchville were present to honor the efforts that their grandfather had made operating a bulldozer to clear the road for the original caravan.”
The caravan will leave Dean’s Motor Lodge in Portage at 7 a.m., following a send-off breakfast.
“Trailmaster Jim Dumond will lead the procession through the Fish Lake Road to a mid-morning stop at Maibec, then the group will travel on to the Canadian border at Ste. Pamphile. All vehicles will be equipped with radio communications provided by Aroostook Technologies Inc. in order to assist with the safe passage on the logging roads,” said Brooks.
From Ste. Pamphile, the caravan will continue to the Trans Canada highway, then to the ferry crossing at Levis and onward into Quebec City.
For more information, call the CACC at 764-6561 or Brooks at 551-6471 or look on Facebook for “Maine-Quebec Winter Carnival.”
