Where 2 of my children live they were blessed with over 6" of snow one day this week, and more the next day. I KNOW! September 9th is too early right?? When the kids were growing up in Quebec I found that if you do lots of winter activities the cold months are more tolerable. Over the years we didn't just make a snowman, we got out in that snow and made a horse, ET and huge transformer. We used to go skating, tobogganing, and even did some winter camping with the Girl Guides.
Where am I going with this? All this talk of snow made me think of Winter Carnivals. When I was a kid we had a Winter Carnival in our home town and everyone prepared and looked forward to it all year. There was a costume parade on skates and my Mom made my brother and I snowman costumes with an old sheet.
I always wanted to go to the Quebec Carnival but I never got there. The first Carnival in Quebec City was held in 1894. Montreal held it's first Winter Ice Carnival in 1883. The big draw for visitors were architect-designed Ice Palaces.
Other types of Carnivals were held, some as benefits. Brisbane held the Patriotic Carnival during World War I, and some theater companies held carnivals to raise funds.
Our town also had a spring fair and a fall tombola. You can also search for brochures for local festivals, regattas and expositions.
Relevant Links:
Montreal Ice Carnival - special issue, Dominion Railway pocket guide 1884
Souvenir of the Montreal Winter Carnival 1884
The Carnival almanac and official programme: Montreal 1885
Montreal Winter Carnival, 1893
Quebec Winter carnival 1894
A short account of ye Quebec winter carnival holden in 1894
Quebec Winter Carnival 1896
Ottawa Winter Carnival 1895
Rossland Winter Carnival, BC 1903
Winter sports at Huntington Lake Lodge, Annual Carnival Fresno, CA 1916
Comstock Carnival, Virginia City, Nevada 1903
Patriotic Carnival Souvenir Programme, Brisbane 1914
Brisbane's Do Without Week and 2nd Grand Patriotic Carnival 1916
Official souvenir, Hudson-Fulton Celebration Carnival Pageant - NY 1909
Prizes: Montreal Farmer's Carnival: cinquième exposition provincial, 1896
A panorama of Canada's greatest attractions - Hamilton Summer Carnival 1889
Hand Book of the Carnival - Mardi Gras, New Orleans 1874
Programme of the Summer Carnival and Electric Exhibition, St John, NB 1889
Aquatic Carnival, Halifax, NS 1871
American Theatre's carnival for Britain: British War Relief 1941
Souvenir Programme: Grand Festival, Carnival, Kermesse and Concert held at Mechanics Pavilion, San Francisco, 1895, for new French Hospital
Ground Breaking Panama-California Exposition July 1911
Montreal's Forgotten Ice Palaces of the 1880s
I have very much enjoyed reading your blog post and have linked it to my coming posting in a weekly post about the life of my great-grandfather. He grew up in Montreal and would have been 20 years old for the first Carnival in 1883.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Delete