Aylmer 500: construct your soapboxes in advance!

Old Aylmer gearing up for the soapbox race

Jude Osmond

The end of August is near, which means Old Aylmer is getting ready for its popular soapbox race on the weekend of August 21 and 22 down Rue Principale.  The soapbox race made its reappearance in Aylmer last year after a seven-year hiatus; last year's race packed Rue Principale, with people lining up from the bottom to the top of the street to see the boxes in action.

The Corporation du Vieux Aylmer provided the cars. A new edition this year is that competitors are encouraged to construct their own soapbox vehicles, allowing them to race in their own creation. Young children and teenagers aged 7-17 get a chance to enjoy time in one of the boxes, driving around with no prize at stake, just a good time.

The races drew big crowds in the 1950s and 1960s, before moving to Main Street, and they hope to recapture that magic in this year's edition.