Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant

Start of race at Rocky Mountain House. Photograph by Frank Grant.

The Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant was a canoe race started on May 24, 1967 in the Rocky Mountains by ten teams representing eight provinces and the two existing territories. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, the two remaining provinces were not entered. 3,283 miles (5,283 km) were paddled and portaged in 104 days by 100 men using six man shifts per team. They arrived in Montreal on September 4. Other privately sponsored canoes from across the country made similar trips.[1][2] As of March 2012, it still holds the Guinness record for longest canoeing race in history.[3]

Beginnings

The Centennial Commission was started in 1963, with the mandate of organizing numerous projects to promote the first Canadian Centennial.[4] Regional governments advertised for participants. Every man that officially completed the trip would receive $1000 (CDN$7,094 in 2016 dollars[5]). The winning team an additional $1,500 per man and $500 for 2nd/3rd. There were other contests along the route as well.[6]

The canoes

Twelve canoes were built for promotion and trials in 1966 by the Chestnut Canoe Company. The 10 canoes used the following year in the race were built by Moise Cadorette.[7]

The route

Relief map courtesy of Courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection and the Central Intelligence Agency
Portages needed to be done over the divides

Expo 67 Official Guide Book Schedule:

See also

Books and periodicals

References

  1. ↑ http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_67_news_p27.html
  2. ↑ http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_67_news_p34.html
  3. ↑ Glenday, Craig: Guinness World Records 2008: Random House Digital, Inc.: 2008-04-29: p509: ISBN 0553589954: ISBN 9780553589955
  4. ↑ Historica-Dominion. "Centennial celebrations, 1967". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  5. ↑ Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada. "Consumer Price Index, historical summary". CANSIM, table (for fee) 326-0021 and Catalogue nos. 62-001-X, 62-010-X and 62-557-X. And Consumer Price Index, by province (monthly) (Canada) Last modified 2017-07-21. Retrieved July 28, 2017
  6. ↑ http://expo67.ncf.ca/expo_67_news_p37.html
  7. ↑ http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca/english/collection/water7.cfm
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