The Lois McClure, a replica of a 19th-century Lake Champlain schooner, is playing a new role as international ambassador. The boat is the flagship of the 400th anniversary of the European discovery of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River valleys.
Last week, the Lois left its home port at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Ferrisburgh and headed north, to Quebec City where it is taking part in a weeklong celebration next month of the July 3, 1608 founding of the city.
After that the Lois will spend a month heading home, stopping at ports on the St. Lawrence and Richelieu rivers, offering Canadian visitors a glimpse of history.
The boat was built to commemorate the commercial heritage that linked New York City, Buffalo, and Montreal to the Champlain Valley.