BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 22, 2020
After 28 years as the premier sled dog racing event in New England, the 2021 Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Races have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Can-Am Crown 250-, Can-Am Crown 100- and Can-Am Crown 30-mile races draw thousands of spectators and mushers from all over the United States and Canada to the starting gates on Fort Kent’s Main Street each year. Maine musher Jonathan Hayes of Poland Spring Seppala Kennels in Saint David said he finds the cancelation of the races “unfortunate.” But Hayes said he thought the Can-Am could have been held safely. “Mushing is an outdoor sport in the woods where competitors never have to interact and can be masked and are socially distanced by a string of dogs,” he said. “Spectators could be drawn out over the Heritage Trail to allow for social distancing.”