The 23rd Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race begins this weekend in Fort Kent, Maine.  Mushers from throughout North America and around the world will be competing on March 2-5 in three races: the 30-mile, the 60-mile, and the 250-mile.

Irving Woodlands, LLC is proud to sponsor the well-known 250-mile race.  It is the longest and highest caliber race in the eastern United States and is a qualifying competition for the Alaskan Iditarod race. The race currently has 18 registered mushers from across North America, including New Hampshire, Maine, Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The mushers vary in age, with the youngest being just 12 years old.

The Can-Am Crown is a very special annual tradition in Fort Kent and a highlight of Maine’s winter sporting season.  Each year hundreds of spectators line the main street of the community, bringing significant tourism dollars into the region.

“We are very excited to host this amazing event each year,” says Doug Cyr, Human Resources Manager with Irving Woodlands, LLC.  “There is a tremendous team of dedicated local citizens who have worked very hard to plan a world-class event.”  The company hosts a large refreshment tent on the main street - complete with hot chocolate and BBQ – that is free to all attending the race.

J.D. Irving, Limited has been creating jobs in Maine since 1946.  Today the company sustains over 2000 direct and indirect jobs in forestry, lumber, agriculture, and railway operations in the state.  The company’s forests in Maine are audited and certified annually under two internationally recognized environmental programs – Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C041515) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).  Irving Woodlands has been nationally and internationally honoured for its research and conservation efforts in Maine’s forests and is a two-time recipient of awards from the science-based Gulf of Maine Council of the Environment.

For more information on the Irving Woodlands Can-Am 250 schedule, visit their website.