Special to The Star-Herald
Quebec City officials and Quebec’s provincial leaders met this year’s Maine-Quebec Winter Carnival Caravan Friday, Feb.15 with open arms and a red carpet reception at Hotel du Parlement, the provincial capital building. A second reception was held Saturday, Feb.16 at Hotel du Ville, city hall, with the president of the winter carnival, Karine Premard, and Maine legislators headed by State Rep. John Martin of Fort Kent.
Gifts were exchanged between the caravan members and carnival officials with Sarah Brooks, co-chairman of the caravan, receiving Quebec City’s 400th Anniversary Presidential Medallion from Ms. Premard. She, in turn, received baskets of Aroostook County made products from Samantha and Sarah Paradis of Frenchville. The sisters are the daughters of Patrick and Stacy Paradis.
During the city hall reception, Ms. Brooks extended an invitation to Bonhomme Carnaval, the large snowman and the living icon for the carnival, to attend next year’s Can Am sled dog races in Fort Kent.
After a breakfast at the Ashland Motor Lodge Friday, about 55 caravaners left Ashland at dawn with a police escort to the North Maine Woods for the trip to Quebec City. Led by trail master Dana Cameron of Ashland, the group traveled the wood’s road that was made narrow by the heavy amount of snow. The caravan was forced to halt once in order to allow working logging trucks passage.
Persons making the trip included a couple from Connecticut, a documentary film team consisting of Claudia Mahon of Pennsylvania, Jen Widor of Westbrook and Linda Griffith of Blaine.
Ms. Mahon says she was informed by a friend prior to the trip about the possibility that Quebec City “could be rather cold.”
“I took her warning seriously and purchased 400-gram insulated boots,” she said. “Armed with boots and dressed in sufficient layers, I felt assured that my hearty body and soul would be fine. Trust me when I announce that NEVER have I been so cold in my entire life! My long, skinny fingers, exposed for so many hours taking photos, were blue. My face was burning with cold, and it was made worse by my teary eyes.
“Looking all around me,” Mahon said, “everyone was smiling and laughing, save for a tot or two, who in spite of pacifiers, blankies, bundling and sled pulls, were clearly as miserable as I was feeling. And yet, we no sooner were en route out of the city on Sunday than I was mentally planning what I would do differently on the trip next year.”
Following the return trip, Ms. Brooks presented Harry Hafford, a representative of the veterans cemetery in Caribou, with a check from the caravan registration fees that would be used for cemetery maintenance.
Photo courtesy Claudia Mahon
THE MAINE-QUEBEC WINTER CARNIVAL CARAVAN crosses a narrow bridge in the North Maine Woods en route to Quebec City Feb.15. Over 50 persons made the 51st annual trip and were special guests of the Quebec Winter Carnival.
Photo courtesy Claudia Mahon
THE CHATEAU FRONTENAC, the icon of Quebec City, was the first familiar sight for Maine-Quebec Winter Carnival Caravan members on their arrival in the city Feb.15. The over 50-member caravan made the annual trip through the North Maine Woods and were guests of the city. After many renovations over the years since the first chateau was built in 1620, the present structure was designed by a New York architect and opened with a ball in 1893.
Contributed photo
SARAH BROOKS, right, of Ashland, co-chairman of the Maine-Quebec Winter Carnival Caravan, presents a check from the 2008 caravan registration fees that will be used for cemetery maintenance to Harry Hafford, center, of the Ashland Rotary Club, and a representative of the veterans cemetery in Caribou. The caravan made the trip to Quebec City Feb.15.
