September 2000
ishistoricallytieddirectlytoEuropean
beginnings. Quebec’s genuine passion for
the sport of ballooningmay be a result of
thoseEuropeanties.Itisthereforenot
surprisingthatthetwolargestballoon
gatheringsinCanadabothtake placein
thisprovince.
Located on the south shore of the St.
Lawrence River abouthalf-way between
MontrealandQuebecCity,Bécancour
heldtheirannualballoonfestivalfrom
July20-23. Althoughnot one the largest
festivals in terms of numbers, the enthusi-
asm and support of the localballoonists,
organizersandspectatorsresultedina
veryenjoyable event.
Thepoorweatherthathasplagued
Ontario and Quebec throughout the early
summercontinuedtodosoonceagain.
All of Friday andSaturday’s flights were
canceleddue to nearbythunderstorms or
high winds, but improved for a night glow
laterSaturday.Theinclusionofawide
variety of musical entertainment and car-
nivalactivitiesensuredthespectators
could still enjoy themselves.
Pilots and crewawoke Sunday morn-
ingtoa light fog, butassoon asthesun
rosethefogburnedoff-exactlyasfore-
castedatthe pilot’sbriefingahalf hour
before.
Theconditionswereideaforallof
the25participants.Twospecialshape
balloons were in attendance. One was the
YellowPagestelephonebookandthe
other wasPapi, the pharmacist. This is a
truly Quebecois balloon as it is the mascot
for a drug store chain in Quebec, Essaim.
Theballoonistswereabletocom-
asaresultofthe meteorologicalcondi-
tions.
The facilities and organization of the
Bécancour BalloonFestival wasasgood
asanyof themuchlargerfestivalsheld
Festival,Quebec
nearby highways right to the festival loca-
tion was clearly marked for vendors, bal-
loonists and entertainers resulting in a
very efficient flow of traffic through this
small town.
The Pharmacist
