The year 2009 will mark the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival to the region. Celebrations are being planned in New York and Vermont and the Richelieu region of Quebec for 2009. In 2008, Quebec City will kick off the festivities with a celebration. Learn more about plans to commemorate this historic event!

Teaching the Quad! A Workshop Series for Teachers About the Quadricentennial How do you engage your students in the topics surrounding the upcoming Quadricentennial? The 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s entrance onto the lake that now bears his name is fast approaching. Join the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and her partner institutions for a day-long workshop for educators to learn more about the pivotal year 1609, and the people and events that shaped the Champlain Basin for centuries to come. Workshops will be held on:

April 8 – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington, VT
April 15 – Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Basin Harbor, VT
April 22 – Stafford Middle School, Plattsburgh, NY

Visit the LCMM website for more details or call them at (802) 475-2022 to reserve your spot.

HFCQ 2008-2009 Community Mini-Grant Program (NY locations only). Two hundred grants of up to $1,000 each, will be awarded to communities for projects, events and programs that embody the theme of “Explore 400 years of Progress in the Environment, Energy, Innovation and Education.” Deadline: April 30, 2008. Click here for more details.

March 19, 2008: QUAD Workshop at St. Michaels College. Sponsored by LCBP This workshop will focus on projects, research and programs that unite the people of Vermont, New York and Quebec through our shared natural and cultural history. Individual breakout sessions will follow presentations by the Vermont Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission, the New York Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission, and the Quebec Corporation Richelieu-Champlain 2009. Click here for details and registration info. Click for campus map.

QUAD Workshop Held to Plan for 2009 Celebration! On June 13, 2007 more than 200 people from New York, Vermont and Quebec met at St. Michael's College in Colchester, VT to plan for 2009. We hope to post more summary information soon, but in the meantime, please read an article about it in the Burlington Free Press!

Vermont LC Quadricentennial Commission Strategic Plan. In March 2007, the VT Quadricentennial Commission released its strategic plan. Click here to read the draft plan online.

Senate Passes Jeffords’ Champlain Valley Heritage Bill (Jeffords' Press Release) [10/04/06]

Learn About Samuel de Champlain

• Timeline: The Life of Samuel de Champlain, 1567-1635 (2 MB PDF)
• Hélène Boullé: Champlain’s Young Bride in New France (195 KB PDF)

"A Day With Sam"

How might Samuel de Champlain feel about Lake Champlain if he were to visit today? Read this humorous encounter with Sam, written by LCBP Program Manager Bill Howland to celebrate the LCBP's 15th Anniversary in October 2006. Read, "A Day With Sam..." (PDF file).

We'd Like Your Opinion

Click here to read an update on the current plans for the commemoration. The New York and Vermont Quadricentennial commissions have asked the Lake Champlain Basin Program to obtain public input for the upcoming anniversary. This process will begin with a simple request for comments from all who are interested.

Write your ideas, suggestions, or concerns on the back of the update and mail it to us. You can also send e-mails to us at: champlain400@lcbp.org.

Additional Websites

Vermont Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Website

Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Commission

Quebec City 2008 Celebration

Samuel de Champlain - Adventurer in New France (America's Historic Lakes website)