COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Race With Beurmond Banville

The first Saturday in March will see the many feet of sled dogs pulling their masters on the icy snow at the 27th Annual Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Race in Fort Kent.

Community Spotlight caught up with Beurmond Banville, Director of Public Relations for the event, to talk a bit about the sled dog races in northern Maine.

Banville began taking an interest in the Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Race when he was a journalist and covered the yearly event for the first 24 years.

Banville explains who partakes in the event every year.

"We have mushers from all across the snow-belt in the United States and Canada. We've had them from Switzerland, Australia and Europe, so they come from all over the place."

Not only is the event fun, but it also hosts the three biggest races east of the Mississippi, drawing in a crowd of about 8,000 people on Main Street where the race begins.

According to Banville, there are three races in all.

There is a 30-mile race, a 100-mile race and the classic 250-mile race. Anyone who finishes the 250-mile race qualifies for bigger events like the Iditarod in Alaska.

What brings a lot of attraction and excitement to the Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Race are, indeed, the dogs, but Banville says there are all different types of dogs who pull their mushers and not just Siberian Huskies.

Other dogs you might see mushing along are poodles and other cold-weather type dogs, according to Banville.

If you would like more information about the Can-Am Crown Sled Dog Race on March 2, 2019, you can call Beurmond at 207-543-7515 or visit their website here.

Community Spotlight is sponsored by Cary Medical Center.

If you have an idea for the program, contact us at spotlight@townsquaremedia.com.