2008 Marks The 400th Anniversary of Quebec City!!

The first activation will take place at the Champlain Look Out in Gatineau Park on Sunday, June 1st, 2008.

HF, VHF, UHF, in CW, SSB, PSK31, on 20 and 40m. Also, IRLP. Look for us on APRS.

2008 marks the 400th anniversary of the foundation of Quebec City by one Sieur Samuel de Champlain in 1608. Canadian annals also acknowledge Champlain as the founder of Canada. And to this day, there is an active Champlain Society in Toronto. His name was not left behind in story books as witness by the many parks, buildings, schools, hotels, streets, bridges, townships, counties in Canada and also in the U.S. Who has not been to Lake Champlain.

In Quebec City, the send off was already sounded by a huge gathering and monster musical spectacle on New Year's eve, complete with fireworks, the like of which was never seen before. The celebrations will last all year.

Therefore, we intend to join the festivities and hit the Champlain Trail by activating the many sites marking the passage of this extraordinary explorer along the St-Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. Many sites are considered including the Nepean Point and the Chateau Frontenac monuments. Here is a tentative list:

• Ile aux Allumettes (Algonquin Grand Chief Tessouat)
• Cobden Park (Astrolabe and Algonquin Chief Nibachis)
• Portage-du-Fort
• Quyon-Fitzroy
• Nepean Pointe (Champlain Monument)
• Petrie Island
• Champlain Township, L'Orignal (near Hawsbury)
• Lachine Rapids (second white man to shoot them)
• Sorel towards Lake Champlain
• Trois-Rivières
• Donnacona
• Québec City (Champlain Monument)

A special event call sign will be applied for and we will activate as many sites as we can with mobile stations, in about the same way we have activated the locks on the Rideau last year. We will coordinate our visits with the Quebec 400 Committee and the municipalities along the way, and invite local Radio Amateurs to join in by communicating with their Clubs.

Latest News: Special Event Call Sign was authorized from June 1 to July 30, 2008. We will be on the air as: "VC3C"

The first activation will take place at the Champlain Look Out in Gatineau Park on Sunday, 1 Jun 2008. HF, VHF, UHF, in CW, SSB, PSK31, on 20 and 40m. Also, IRLP. Look for us on APRS.

Hi Elias,

Thanks again for the nice job you have done for the Champlain Trail. Also, nice pictures.
I have compiled the dates for the tentative list of sites to be activated.
Could you include it after -- Here is a tentative list:

01 June 08 - QRV - Champlain Lookout, Gatineau Park.
Clubs: OVMRC, OARC, MARG, CRAO

07 June 08 - Ottawa Nepean Point Champlain monument
08 June 08 - Pétrie Island (stayed on islands for protection)
Clubs: OVMRC, OARC, MARG, CRAO

14 June 08 - Portage-du-Fort (round Whitewater Region)
15 June 08 - Fitzroy Harbour (round Chats Falls)
Clubs: CRRA Arnprior, WCARC WCarleton

18 June 08 - Portneuf (15 leagues up river)
21 June 08 - Québec City Champlain monument
Clubs: ARA Portneuf, CRAQ

05 July 08 - Allumettes Island (met Grand Chief Tessouat)
06 July 08 - Cobden (Astrolabe found)
Clubs: RCARC, ZRRRG

12 July 08 - Trois-Rivières (Champlain)
13 July 08 - Sorel (start towards Lake Champlain)
Clubs: CRAM Cap-Madeleine, CRAST Sorel

19 July 08 - Ile Sainte-Hélène (Champlain's wife)
20 July 08 - L'Orignal (Champlain Township)
Clubs: UMS Montréal, PR-ARES

30 July 08 - Wrap-up Ottawa Region - QRT.
Possibly Etienne Brulé Lookout (Champlain's companion)
Clubs: OVMRC, OARC, MARG, CRAO

73 de VE3VIG
Maurice-André