….the canoe is not a lifeless, inanimate object; it feels very much alive, alive with the life of the river. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe. – Bill Mason
I have always believed that the Canadian Wooden canoe is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe. It is as much a part of our land as the rocks and trees and lakes and rivers. It takes as much skill and artistry to paddle a canoe well as it does to paint a picture of it. In this painting I wanted to capture the look and feel of a well-worn travelling companion. There’s hardly a rib or plank that isn’t cracked but after a quarter of a century it’s still wearing its original canvas. - Bill Mason, Canoescapes (NOTE: This was in reference to a painting done by Bill Mason of his favourite Chestnut canoe.)
There is one thing I should warn you about before you decide to get serious about canoeing. You must consider the possibility of becoming totally and incurably hooked on it. You must also face the fact that every fall about freeze-up time you go through a withdrawal period as you watch the lakes and rivers icing overone by one. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing can help a little to ease the pain, but they won’t guarantee a complete cure. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
When you look at the face of Canada and study the geography carefully, you come away with the feeling that God could have designed the canoe first and then set about to conceive a land in which it could flourish. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
It’s the portage that makes travelling by canoe unique. – Bill Mason
….portaging is like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop. – Bill Mason
Anyone who says they like portaging is either a liar or crazy. – Bill Mason
It was the canoe that made it possible for the Indian to move around before and for several hundred years after the arrival of the white man. As the white man took over their land, the native people would regret the generosity which they shared their amazing mode of travel. The more I study the birchbark canoe and what it can do, the greater is my admiration of these people who were here long before we arrived.
The birchbark canoe is made entirely from materials found in the forest: birch bark, cedar, spruce roots, ash, and pine gum. When it is damaged, it can be repaired easily from the materials at hand. When it has served its purpose, it returns to the land, part of a never-ending cycle. - Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle
….we need to be more aware of where we are headed and from whence we came. An appreciation of the canoe and acquisition of the necessary skills to utilize it as a way to journey back to what’s left of the natural world is a great way to begin this voyage of discovery. - Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle
A journey by canoe along ancient waterways is a good way to rediscover our lost relationship with the natural world and the Creator who put it tohether so long ago. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
The path of the paddle can be a means of getting things back to their original perspective. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
….the age of the canoe is not gone; it’s justdifferent. the canoe is no longer a vehicle of trade and commerce. Instead, it has become a means of venturing back into what is left of the natural world. It’s true there isn’t much left to be discovered, but there is much to be rediscovered about the land, about the creatures who live there, and about ourselves. Where do we come from and where are we going? There is no better place and no better way to follow this quest into the realm of spirit than along the lakes and rivers of the North American wilderness in a canoe. -Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle
The first thing you must learn about canoeing is that the canoe is not a lifeless, inanimate object; it feels very much alive, alive with the life of the river. Life is transmitted to the canoe by the currents of the air and the water upon which it rides. The behavior and temperament of the canoe is dependent upon the elements: from the slightest breeze to a raging storm, from the smallest ripple to a towering wave, or from a meandering stream to a thundering rapid. - Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle
It is certainly not my intention to convince everybody they should grab a canoe and take to the wilderness. We are all different, and our interests vary. That is how it should be. Some people are content to enjoy the land from the edge of the road or campground. Others are only happy when isolated from the synthetic world by many portages and miles of trackless wilderness. I used to think it was a major tragedy if anyone went through life never having owned a canoe. Now I believe it is just a minor tragedy. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle
Wilderness: a beautiful word to describe a beautiful land. Wilderness though is a white man’s concept. To the Native people, the land was not wild. It was home. It provided shelter, clothed and fed them. And echoing through their souls was a song of the land. The singing isn’t as loud as it used to be. But you can still hear it in the wind….in the silence of the misty morning….in the drip of the water from the tip of a paddle. The song is still here if you know how to listen. – Bill Mason, Song Of the Paddle
On her Dad’s art: Like him, I find that paddling can take you on a voyage of creativity where you store up experiences in your memory to treasure for a lifetime. – Becky Mason
May every dip of your paddle lead you towards a rediscovery of yourself, of your canoeing companions, of the wonders of nature, and of the unmatched physical and spiritual rapture made possible by the humble canoe - Pierre Elliott Trudeau, foreword to Path of the Paddle by Bill Mason, 1980
Although in later life Bill vehemently defended the virtues of his beloved Chestnut – his personal fleet included three, a 16′ Pal, a 16′ Prospector and a 17′ Cruiser – he could have been paddling any number of canvas-covered canoes built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In fact, there were on the market, for all intents and purposes, dozens of nearly identical models, made by various manufacturers in the United States and Canada, many of which had the model name “Prospector.” But, even as a class or type of canvas-covered canoe, the Prospector that became his favourite was entirely consistent with Bill and his view of the world. It was mostly made of natural materials – steamed white cedar ribs and planking; brass tacks and screws; cotton-canvas skin; and white ash or oak seats, thwarts and gunwales. It was solid; it was durable; it could be repaired in the field; and it moved quietly and responsively in all types of water. – James Raffan, Fire In The Bones
Today, most Canadian canoeing is recreational. Many of us would assert that it is usually meaningful, aesthetically fulfilling and ecologically sensitive recreational canoeing. Admittedly, these modifiers are not present in the highly competitive, highly structured and technically oriented canoe racing sports which tend not to take place in a wilderness environment. But with these large exceptions, canoeing, certainly canoe tripping and lake water canoe cruising, tends to involve in varying degrees a quest for wilderness or at least semi-wilderness. It also involves a search for high adventure or natural tranquility or both. These activities are an integral part of Canadian culture. Bill Mason asserts that the canoe is “the most beautiful work of human beings, the most functional yet aesthetically pleasing object ever created,” and that paddling a canoe is “an art” not a technical achievement. That certainly means culture. - Bruce Hodgins, from Canexus, p.46
It’s pretty hard for me to go more than a few days without getting a paddle wet somewhere. For me, that stepping into the canoe and pushing off is a very special spiritual and physical experience. Bill Mason had it right: it’s like walking on water. It transports you to another way of being, another way of feeling – it restores my soul. – David Finch
From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mason:
Bill Mason was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves….He canoed all of his adult life, ranging widely over the wilderness areas of Canada and the United States. Called “wilderness artist,” in one book about him, Mason left a legacy that includes books, films and artwork on canoeing and wild nature. He died of cancer in 1988.
….In his review of James Raffan’s 1996 biography of Mason (NOTE: James Raffan’s biography of Bill, Fire In The Bones, is a must read), Michael Peake refers to Mason as “the patron saint of canoeing.” To many Canadian and American Paddlers and Canoeists growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, his series of instructional films were the introduction to technique and the canoeing experience. In many ways, Bill, Joyce, Paul and Becky Mason were the “faces” of Canadian Canoeing in the ’70s.
….Although he used a variety of Chestnut models in his films, including the “Pal” and the “Fort”, his favourite boat was a red Chestnut Prospector, a 16 foot canvas covered wood canoe that he claimed was the most versatile design ever manufactured, in spite of the popularity of more durable and modern construction techniques and materials. After his death, this canoe was donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario, where it is on display. His wife, Joyce, and children, Paul and Becky, frequently travelled with him and contributed to his later books and films, and have continued his life work and environmentalism.
From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mason.
From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mason.
Bill Mason was a huge influence on me….as a paddler….as a lover of wild places….and of old wood canoes….
Bill was definitely one of a kind….I had the pleasure of meeting him (through Kirk Wipper)….his kids Becky and Paul, along with his wife Joyce are definitely carrying on his memory….see http://www.redcanoes.ca/bill/ for more on Bill….
The Bill Mason Scholarship Fund, http://www.paddlecanada.com/about-us/bill-mason-scholarship.html, is awarded by Paddle Canada, and described as:
The Bill Mason Memorial Scholarship Fund is a tribute to the late Bill Mason, a Canadian recognized both nationally and internationally as an avid canoeist, environmentalist, filmmaker, photographer, artist and public speaker.
Established by Paddle Canada in 1990, with the permission and input of the Mason Family, the scholarship is intended to incorporate some of the characteristics that made Bill Mason unique and to help ensure that the memory, spirit and ideals that he represented are kept fresh in the minds of Canadians.
Paddle Canada is proud to award this annual scholarship of $1,000 to assist with the education of tomorrow’s environmental stewards – to those people who help make a difference in the kind of world we live in today and pass on to future generations.
Becky Mason (besides being a fantastic artist as is her partner Reid) is a great paddler (like many others I wish I could paddle as well)….and has a recent DVD that is equally as breathtaking as many of her Dad’s films….this new DVD is also informative and instructional….
Paul Mason is a great cartoonist….his Bubblestreet cartoons are favourites with many paddlers….Paul is also a fantastic whitewater paddler….
Both Becky and Paul (along with Joyce) were featured in many of Bill’s films….the family took part in the canoe tripping film Song of the Paddle….Paul was featured in the Path of the Paddle series….Paul also played the little boy (who finds Paddle-to-the-Sea along with his yellow Labrador Retriever) in Paddle to the Sea….
As I’ve already noted here and in other blog posts, like many paddlers, I was greatly influenced by Bill Mason….I remember seeing The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes and Paddle to the Sea as a youngster….later on seeing his canoeing instructional film series Path of the Paddle (if my memory serves me right, first at a CRCA Canoe Instructor’s School at Kandalore, where it was shown by Bill as a ‘film-in-progress’)….Bill’s films are available for all to see on the NFB website (or look down the left side of this blog for direct links to several)….
One film that really speaks of Bill’s passion for canoes and canoeing is Waterwalker….and the NFB blog, http://blog.nfb.ca/2011/12/16/waterwalker/?ntpg_src=links&ntpg_sid=kr_fb_20111216, featured a piece entitled Waterwalker: Bill Mason’s Masterpiece…..the film is described in author Albert Ohayon’s words as:
I have viewed over 7,000 NFB films as part of my work. People often ask me what my favourite film is and I never hesitate to answer Bill Mason’s ode to the majesty of nature, Waterwalker (1984). There is so much about this film that works for me on so many levels….
….I invite you to view this film and share in Mason’s beautiful journey. Perhaps you will be deeply touched by its message like I was—or perhaps not. In either case, the beautiful images and haunting Bruce Cockburn music are sure to make a lasting impression on you. Enjoy.
From NFB Blog, Waterwalker: Bill Mason’s Masterpiece, http://blog.nfb.ca/2011/12/16/waterwalker/?ntpg_src=links&ntpg_sid=kr_fb_20111216.
I remember seeing Waterwalker in a Toronto theater (the Cumberland I believe)….it was incredible to see on a big screen….I missed on repeating this experience this past March in Kitchener when the Princess Theater had a special viewing of the film….with Becky Mason in attendance to talk about her Dad and the film….
Waterwalker was made from extra footage Bill shot during the filming of the Path of the Paddle series….just an example of ‘recycling’ I guess….something I believe Bill had done on other films such as his projects about wolves….the feature-length Cry of the Wild was made from extra sequences shot during the making of his shorter documentary Death of a Legend….
Whatever Bill filmed….be it about canoes or wolves….whales or the Great Lakes….or whether he wrote canoeing instruction books (Path of the Paddle and Song of the Paddle) or on his art (Canoescapes, finished just before his death)….he devoted his life and work to the discovery and the protection of nature. Bill Mason was one of the first ecologist filmmakers….and he is still celebrated as North America’s most famous exponent of canoeing.
Bill Mason was born on April 21st….and lived to 59 years of age….I guess being born on April 19th….and just past 58, I feel just a little more in common with Bill lately than when I first became aware of him….beyond a shared love for canoes and canoeing….and for the environment and wild places. I hope I’m able to keep paddling on for many years to come….but I will always be inspired by Bill’s films and books. Bill passed away the same year as another huge influence on many paddlers did. Both Bill and Omer Stringer passed away in 1988. I can never be as good a paddler as Omer….certainly can never make a film or write a book like Bill….but from what I learned from both, I hope I will always be able to share the same ideals.
Let me close with a poem by Charles Burchill:
Ideals by Charles Burchill
Who will speak for us now?
Pierre and his canoe have left us.
Bill and his Pal are gone.
Politics threatens our union.
Tell me when will it end.
We believed at Stockholm
We believed in Rio.
Now Voices from Kyoto fall.
Where does it end.
When do we start?
Paddles up until later then….check out this article on Waterwalker on the NFB blog….better yet check out Bill’s films on the NFB website….his films are still as relevant today as when he first filmed them….and be sure to see Waterwalker…..to paraphrase a quote mentioned above, made by David Finch, Bill Mason was truly a waterwalker….especially through his work on the canoe….letting one literally walk on water….while transporting you to another way of being….another way of feeling….restoring your soul.
