On a sunny but chilly Sunday, participants push a canoe across an icy stretch of the St. Lawrence River for a race from Quebec City to Lévis and back, about 3.2 kilometres.
Ice racing has been a staple of the Quebec Winter Carnival since the event, and its mascot Bonhomme Carnaval, made their modern debut in 1955.
Whereas voyageurs would have made this crossing in wooden canoes, the modern racers bring light fibreglass boats, coated with wax on the hull. Most teams are made up of employees from Quebec-based companies and organizations; one of the regulars is the Château Frontenac-Le Soleil team, representing Quebec City's iconic luxury hotel and its daily newspaper.
The team from Germain Construction celebrate after winning the canoe race's amateur category. They and other carnival-goers can enjoy other winter attractions until the festival ends on Feb. 11.