Travelers will be taking an unconventional route from Maine, destined for Quebec City and Winter Carnival festivities, on Friday, Feb. 13 — making for quite a memorable adventure for participants as they wind their way through the North Maine Woods, on a memorable Valentine’s Day three-day getaway.
“February 2015 marks the 58th 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.
“Part of the route had to be bulldozed and cut out with chainsaws. The route was from Ashland to the American Realty Road to Clear, Churchill and Clayton lakes, then to the border crossing at Daaquam. The 1959 caravan had 32 cars and 92 participants. Many vehicles did not make it all the way through,” said Sarah Brooks, event organizer.
Brooks said it was declared rough going due to the terrain and weather.
“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, as is evidenced by today’s roads to Ste. Pamphile.
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.
This year’s caravan will be leaving Dean’s Motor Lodge in Portage at 7 a.m. on Friday, following a send-off breakfast at 6 a.m.
“We will cross on the ferry from Levi to Quebec City ($15 per car) and arrive in Quebec City at approximately 2 p.m.,” said Fowler.
Participants are responsible for their own accommodations in Quebec City and travel home. Fowler suggests printing directions from the ferry to your hotel before Friday’s departure.
For more information, call the CACC at 764-6561 or Brooks at 551-6471 or look on Facebook for “Maine-Quebec Winter Carnival.”
