First, the canoe connects us to Ma-ka-ina, Mother Earth, from which we came and to which we must all return. Councils of those who were here before us revered the earth and also the wind, the rain, and the sun – all essential to life. It was from that remarkable blending of forces that mankind was allowed to create the canoe and its several kindred forms.
From the birch tree, came the bark; from the spruce, pliant roots; from the cedar, the ribs, planking and gunwales; and from a variety of natural sources, the sealing pitch.
In other habitats, great trees became dugout canoes while, in treeless areas, skin, bone and sinew were ingeniously fused into kayaks. Form followed function, and manufacture was linked to available materials. Even the modern canoe, although several steps away from the first, is still a product of the earth. We have a great debt to those who experienced the land before us. No wonder that, in many parts of the world, the people thank the land for allowing its spirit to be transferred to the canoe.
Hand-propelled watercraft still allow us to pursue the elemental quest for tranquility, beauty, peace, freedom and cleaness. It is good to be conveyed quietly, gracefully, to natural rhythms….
The canoe especially connects us to rivers – timeless pathways of the wilderness. Wave after wave of users have passed by. Gentle rains falling onto a paddler evaporate skyward to form clouds and then to descend on a fellow traveller, perhaps in another era. Like wise, our waterways contain something of the substance of our ancestors. The canoe connects us to the spirit of these people who walk beside us as we glide silently along riverine trails. – Kirk Wipper, in foreword to Canexus (also published as “Connections” in Stories From The Bow Seat: The Wisdom And Waggery Of Canoe Tripping by Don Standfield and Liz Lundell, p. 15)
Small Craft Rendezvous
If you have your own boat, bring it with you!
Saturday June 22nd, 2013 10am-5pm @ The Canadian Canoe Museum
Free Admission | Kids’ Activities | Demonstrations | Tools | Canoe Building | Wooden Boats | Water Safety
Backcountry Cooking | Canoe Sailing | Paddle Making | Fun, Fun, Fun!
DAYTIME EVENTS:
If you build, restore, use, own or want to learn more about small watercraft, don’t miss this opportunity to be surrounded by fellow enthusiasts! There will be live demonstrations, workshops, vendors and special guest speakers.
Exhibits will be set up OUTSIDE in the Museum’s parking lot and INSIDE the Museum as well.
A BBQ Lunch by the East Peterborough Lions Club will be available from 11:30-1:30
Cafe Canoe will be open all day with a lunchtime special of Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream cones for $1!
Additional Parking is available across Monaghan Road at the Evinrude Center.
DAYTIME PRESENTATIONS & DEMONSTRATIONS:
• Nick Offerman, Actor, woodworker and Bear Mountain canoe builder, will be performing during the day sharing his knowledge and thoughtful ideas about woodworking and boat building in his hilarious style. Nick is currently playing the role of Ron Swanson in NBC’s Parks and Recreation and he has many other talents as you will learn. Nick will be around all day so please make sure you introduce yourself and make him feel welcome.
• Lee Valley Tools will display and demonstrate sharpening systems and various hand tools useful to woodworkers. • Ontario Recreational Canoeing & Kayaking Association is demystifying food dehydration for backcountry cooking & demonstrating efficient tarp backcountry tarp hanging. • Roger Foster of Carlisle Canoes will demonstrate how to canvas a cedar-canvas canoe • Wooden Canoe Heritage Association unites people who want to know more about wooden canoes.
• Antique and Classic Boat Club (Toronto Chapter) will bring books and materials featuring historic watercraft both motorized and paddle powered.
• Stony Lake sailor, rower and amateur boat builder Tony Wells will display his antique toy tin boats • Skip Izon (Shadow River Boatworks) and Meade Gougeon (co-founder of Gougeon Brothers and West System®) will present their ideas about recent advances in the traditional cruising 50/50 decked sailing canoe. • Bear Mountain Boats is planning a display relating to the history of Bear Mountain and is encouraging all builders who have used Canoecraft and Kayakcraft to bring their boats to display. We expect many people who have worked with Ted Moores and Joan Barrett over the last 40 years will take in the celebration.
• Ron Frenette of Canadian Canoes and Glenn Fallis of Voyageur Canoes are showing off three 26 ft. North Canoes they have built to paddle from Milan to Venice Italy in the fall of 2013. Come and meet these hardy modern day voyageurs and learn about their upcoming trip.
• Bark canoe builder extraordinaire Rick Nash is going to display some of the model canoes Bill Mason showed him how to make which were used when filming Paddle to the Sea. • Canadian Canoe Museum will feature artisan demonstrations. • John Huptfield of Lost in the Woods Boatworks has some sailing canoes to display
• Joe & Hilary Calnan of RiverCraft offer educational tours in reproduction historic craft from the St. Lawrence River – the whole family will enjoy their interactive display.
• Bob Arthur and Brian Heaslip of Big2Canoe will demonstrate a staple less construction system which they use to build stunning woodstrip craft.
• Yacht designer Steve Killing will be attending and we hope to persuade him to talk about some of his interesting projects.
• Furniture maker Michael Fortune writes: Love to participate! I am all set up to demo “Five Ways to Form Wood”……there’s some audience participation (pulling a 17′ long lever) which might be fun. The walnut comes from a downtown Peterborough tree.
•Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Assocations will be promoting new information for cottagers, shoreline restoration and water safety to name a few
•Dick Persson of Buckhorn Canoe Company will showcase a couple of restored canoes and most likely a sampling of new canoes.
•Grey Owl Paddles will present their range of paddles.
•Melinda’s Custom Sewing & Upholstery will showcase the possibilities with sewing and upholstery including a custom tent.
•Red Cross Peterborough brings water and boat safety promotion to the event
•Peter Tamlin and students from I.E Weldon Secondary School‘s Construction Technology classes build canoes as class projects. Students will showcase their canoes as well as a 28′ Voyageur canoe.
•Peterborough’s Brownsea Base will promote their summer waterfront programs for youth, will have a sample campsite and will display their 25′ ‘war canoe’
•Peter Code, boatbuilder with Youth Boatworks of Toronto supervised the building of the Atlantic Challenge 38′ rowing/sailing gig.
EVENING EVENT: sold out!
In the evening there will be a special dinner to celebrate Ted Moores’ and Bear Mountain Boats 40th anniversary. The dinner will be hosted by Nick Offerman an accomplished woodworker, Bear Mountain canoe builder and actor.
He has a wicked sense of humour and currently stars on NBC’s Parks and Recreation in the role of Ron Swanson. Nick will have you laughing with his thought provoking insights into the world of wood working and boat building. Proceeds from the dinner will go to the Canoe Museum. SOLD OUT
REGISTRATION:
To register as an Exhibitor/Participant click here for the Participant Registration Form
To register as a Vendor click here for the Vendor Registration Form
To view the Invitation Letter click here
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Carolyn Hyslop, Public Programs Manager
carolyn.hyslop@canoemuseum.ca
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
705-748-9153 x205
1-866-342-2663
THANKS TO THE PRESENTING PARTNERS: Bear Mountain Boats, Canadian Canoes and The Canadian Canoe Museum
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: Antique and Classic Boat Society Toronto, Steam Whistle Brewery, Kawartha Dairy, East Peterborough Lions Club.
