The Quebec Winter Carnival is currently running! Founded over 125 years ago, it became an annual event in the 1950s and is a defining part of the winter culture of Canada. Not to mention it has Bonhomme! Let's learn more about this famous festival! 🧵1/15 - ThreadSky

cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social • 17 days ago

The Quebec Winter Carnival is currently running!
Founded over 125 years ago, it became an annual event in the 1950s and is a defining part of the winter culture of Canada. Not to mention it has Bonhomme!
Let's learn more about this famous festival!

🧵1/15

Comments

travisfigures.bsky.social•17 days ago

Bonhomme is appointed as new border czar.

sunflowers87.bsky.social•17 days ago

Thank you for your post. I grew up in Quebec City and I didn’t know or don’t remember all the history behind it.

beerforbreakfast.bsky.social•17 days ago

Don't forget Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg!
He Ho!

jennarndt.bsky.social•17 days ago

Brandon puts on an amazing annual multicultural festival too, it’s on this weekend!

beerforbreakfast.bsky.social•17 days ago

Wow! I had no idea.

jennarndt.bsky.social•17 days ago

It’s a pretty big deal for Brandon really. All the pavilions put on shows and serve food, usually have informative and/or interactive displays. The countries have changed over the years, come and gone, but it’s always awesome. (Pro tip: finish off at the Irish one, lol)

jennarndt.bsky.social•17 days ago

Or I guess this year, it would be Scotland. Interesting there’s no Irish one. 🤔

beerforbreakfast.bsky.social•17 days ago

Of course. Lol.
And we all know why. 😉
Although, I love Haggis, too.

cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•17 days ago

The idea of having a winter carnival in Quebec City began in 1893 when a group of businessmen and Premier Joly de Lotbiniere were looking for a way to promote Quebec culture. A main person behind the idea was Frank Carrel, owner of the Quebec Daily Telegraph.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•17 days ago

Governor General Lord Aberdeen also agreed to be the patron of the carnival.
The first Quebec Winter Carnival was held from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, 1894.
An ice palace was constructed and the streets were lined with ice sculptures and arches for the carnival.

🧵3/15

cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•17 days ago

There was also a masquerade on ice, a canoe race on the frozen St. Lawrence and a parade.
The first winter carnival was highly successful and had a $945 surplus.
The next winter carnival was held two years later, with a 39-metre tall ice palace.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•17 days ago

For the next 50 years, the winter carnival was only held intermittently. The carnival was not held during the First World War, and it disappeared entirely during The Great Depression.
After the Second World War, efforts began to make the carnival an annual event.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•17 days ago

In October 1954, work began on the new annual Winter Carnival. This included having 1,000 ice sculptures around town and the building of an ice palace that brought back memories of the original winter carnival in the early-1900s.

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cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social•17 days ago

In 1955, the first annual Quebec Winter Carnival event was held.
Along with the rebirth of the carnival, it was also the first time that Bonhomme was featured. He is the Lord of the Ice Palace and the Ambassador of the Carnival itself.

🧵7/15

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