canoe maker

Most long time readers of this blog will note my affinity for the Canadian Canoe Museum. It was the CCM's paddle making workshop that started my intense interest in this hobby and taught me the basic skills to experiment with carving. For a blast from the past...check out my very first post here from December 2007 featuring some pics about the workshop.

Mentioning all this because I was very honoured recently when this site was selected as one of the Top 10 Must Read blogs by the Museum.

Back in '011, I mentioned an issue of Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement had a short, illustrated article on canoe paddles. It was written by Beth Stanley, the Artisan Program Coordinator at the Canadian Canoe Museum.

I was able to swing by the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show on Sunday afternoon to catch the last 2 hours before closing. Greeting guests at the entrance was a beat-up looking, faux bark canoe to set the mood.


This canoe is actually an old cedar canvas with panels of birchbark stapled to the hull. Certainly not meant to be paddled but it was a romantic entrance to event. The thing was a total wreck but luckily there was much more canoe related stuff inside the show.


The good folks from the Canadian Canoe Museum had their booth stocked with volunteers carving away. One of my paddle making instructors from the Artisan workshops at the museum, Don Duncan, was there and we got to catchup and say hello again.



Badger Paddles was well represented again as was Bruce Smith who had a booth showing off his lovely creations. It was there that I got to see friend, Mike Ormsby from the Reflections On The Outdoors Naturally blog. Mike was scheduled to give a solo paddling demo in his 16ft Cedar Canvas. The demo pool at the show is quite small and its miniature size would make it a challenge for any paddler in a larger boat. Always a good humoured jokester, Mike put on quite a show after an accidental dunking. He even wrote all about his (mis)adventure on his site in this great post. I've certainly dunked in front of spectators before so kudos to Mike for taking it all in stride and being willing to laugh at oneself.

For me the highlight of the show was getting a chance to meet the folks of Northern Sound Canoes who make traditional birchbark style craft with plywood-based hull. I've written about such alternative bark canoes before on this site, including those Hans-George Wagner of Germany, Tomas of Poland, and blog reader Johan of Belgium


Northern Sound Exhibit


16 foot Algonquin Model


Another view


Beautiful Edge-to-Edge planking

These canoes were well received I'm told and have generated some interest. While they are based in the UK, the builders are planning a means of making them more available here in North America. Seeing these craft up close got me excited to attempt a build of my own - it certainly solves the problem of limited bark available to builders today...and being birch based plywood, should be a fantastic medium for pyrography decoration as well. I'm giddy with the potential excitement of another build but am not sure the family is that happy with yet another canoe plan in the works.

This weekend was the annual MEC Paddlefest held at Sunnyside Park, a quaint little part of the western beaches in Toronto. I swung by to help out a bit with the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association booth and hopefully see some other creative paddles. My little man accompanied me for a bit with his Mini Maliseet paddle in hand


Checking out the paddlefest
The weather didn't cooperate and the threat of thunderstorms and grey skies seemed to have limited the public turnout. It also didn't help that the supposed booth that the WCHA booked never materialized. In the end, their display was next to the Canadian Canoe Museum booth nestled rustically under a large tree.

Got a chance to meet other local members including Alex G & Rob S of Hamilton. Rob makes great Wannigans, had a packbasket on display, and is the distributor of traditional canoe gear like fire irons and reflector ovens - really fantastic stuff. Leaning against the tree was a hearty voyageur paddle made from walnut with a thick, beefy oval shaft.


Rob's Walnut Paddle with decorative sash
On Saturday, John Summers, the GM of the Canadian Canoe Museum was on hand doing some paddle carving and was kind enough to share some sharpening tips for the Stanley contractor spokeshaves that he was using. When I was able to swing by late the next day (after helping my cousins move on Sunday morning), Hal Bowen was taking over the reins on the shaving horse. Hal was one of the original instructors at the CCM paddle carving course that started this whole hobby of mine. Very nice to catch up with him again.


Paddle Carving on the beach
Rob's W/C boat and John's 1937 Old Town Sailing Canoe (apparently with orginal canvas) were there as demo boats. Wanted to bring my own canoe down, but logistics limited my ability to transport it down.


Some W/C boats on display
Badger paddles had their colourful display as part of the Swift Canoe booth and every time I tried to get a shot, there was always another customer in the frame checking out the designs. Got a chance to quickly meet Mike Ramsay and thank him for the Badger Paddle Sock he sent my way a while back. Really dig their orange paddle for extreme visibility. Might be appropriate for late season paddling during hunting season.


Badger's Paddle Racks
While the bulk of the show was devoted to plastic kayaks and new trends (including Stand Up Paddle Surfing), there was an intriguing booth showing off traditional greenland kayaks and paddles. Unfortunately lost the business card with name and details, but here's the pic...


Greenland Kayak & Paddles
The next paddling event I'm hoping to attend is the National Canoe Day celebration in Peterborough on June 26th.

With my own failed attempt at a bushcraft paddle this past summer, I was inspired by this nearly century old bushcraft paddle on display at the Canadian Canoe Museum that has a bit of significant history. It was carved by George Douglas, who led an Arctic expedition in 1911 to search for minerals in the Coppermine River watershed. His book about the journey entitled, Lands forlorn : a story of an expedition to Hearne's Coppermine River, is noteworthy for its attention to detail and superb photographs. An online copy of the book is available at Archive.org. The paddle carved from knotted spruce is quite weathered but still looks functional. Curious to note an absence of any grip.


Douglas' Spruce bush paddle


Description

Not so long ago, I wrote a post about William Armstrong's painting of a Hudson's Bay Store scene. It depicted a painted paddle with yellow and red checkered pattern.


William Armstrong
Hudson's Bay Store, Fort William c. 1860-1870
National Gallery of Canada (no. 30490)


Paddle Closeup
While strolling through the "Historic Fur Trade" section on a recent visit to the Canadian Canoe Museum, I came across a display with a reproduction of this very same paddle. Normally, I probably would've passed it by without much attention, but now understand a bit more of its significance.


Canadian Canoe Museum Replica
Also frequent throughout the museum are replicas portrayed in the many paintings of Frances Anne Hopkins, especially those portrayed in her classic painting, Voyageurs at Dawn.


Voyageurs at Dawn, 1871
Archives Canada Citation


Decorated paddles laying on the ground
centre of painting)


More paddles leaning against a rock face
(far right of painting)
These bright scarlett paddles were decorated with various hash marks and chevron patterns. Here are some next to the museum's huge Montreal Canoe display


Voyageur Paddle Replicas
As a side note, the museum just released the 2010 dates for their Paddle Carving Workshop - the place where I first learned this fun hobby.