Water Ways Canoe Instruction & Guiding

09/20/2023

The Canadian Canoe Museum is excited to announce our grand opening celebrations will be held in spring 2024!

The new museum will open in winter 2024, followed by a grand opening celebration on the weekend of May 11th once the ice has melted and canoes can be launched on our waterfront.

The weekend of May 11th will see donors, partners, members, volunteers, and esteemed dignitaries gather to celebrate the grand opening of the new museum and Lang Lakefront Campus, which coincides with the start of the paddling season. It will also mark the launch of The Canadian Canoe Museum’s full visitor experience with on-water activities to honour Canada’s enduring paddling legacy. A schedule of events will be released closer to the date.

The new museum’s unveiling, which was to take place this fall, has been delayed due to nationwide challenges within the construction industry. Despite these challenges, we remain fully committed to providing a world-class facility and exceptional visitor experiences. "...it has not affected the spirit and enthusiasm for this project," says executive director Carolyn Hyslop.

Meanwhile, we continue to achieve significant milestones in moving and fundraising, including the recent relocation of over 100 canoes and kayaks to be showcased in the new Exhibition Hall!

Lastly, our “Inspiring Canada - by Canoe” fundraising campaign is nearing its $40 million goal, with 97% raised.

To learn more or to donate to this historic campaign, visit https://canoemuseum.ca/canadian-canoe-museum-sets-grand-opening-celebrations-for-spring-2024.

🏗️ Our Project Team: Lett Architects Inc. , Chandos Construction , D.G. Biddle & Associates, Engage Engineering Ltd., Kelson , Lancer Electric, LEA Group .

The new museum is made possible, in part, by the generous support of our lead donor and government partners, including the Government of Canada, through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Weston Family Foundation, The City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and the Province of Ontario (Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport).

Thank you to our Move the Collection: The Final Portage sponsors: McWilliams Moving & Storage (Official Mover of The Canadian Canoe Museum), kawarthaNOW (Official Media Sponsor), Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism / Small Business Support at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (Official Tourism Sponsor), and Grant Thornton LLP Canada (Final Portage Partner).

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📸 Photo: Overlaid at the bottom of an image is a blue gradient and "Canadian Canoe Museum's Grand Opening Celebrations Set for Spring 2024". The image illustrates the Lang Lakefront Campus, with a boardwalk leading to the water’s edge. A large tree reaches out over the water. In the distance, two people are kayaking on the lake, with the spray of the Little Lake fountain behind them.

Additional photos in comments.

08/01/2023

By Megan Gallant. Canadian Voyageur Brigade Society is paddling 250 kilometres down Trent-Severn Waterway, with additional stops in Fenelon Falls, Bobcaygeon, and Hiawatha First Nation.

07/13/2023

Basic Tandem Canoe Clinics in Hope!
Learn the basic skills to have an enjoyable, safe, and fun time on the water this summer!
4 hours of instruction & fun!
$60 per person.

07/13/2023

Very cool!

Why are we photographing 600+ canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft as well as hundreds of small artifacts and paddles?

Packing and moving the collection has provided us with the perfect opportunity to photograph everything. It's very unusual for a museum to handle every single object in their collection over the span of a couple of years. Since we would rarely get the chance to photograph the entire collection again, we decided to do so prior to moving. Replacing photos with recent options is much more common and will continue in the future, but photographing everything and updating our records all at once is something that does not take place regularly.

Why are these photos so important?

An up-to-date Collections Database that includes photos is important for ensuring all artifacts are properly tracked and connected to their stories and provenance. Having a database makes each object easy to access for staff, and can also help in planning future exhibits.

Externally, we may also use photos of the collection for social media posts, newsletters, media inquiries, community collaboration and collections research, or in exhibits. 📲✉️🤝

And how exactly do we photograph the entire collection?

The process begins after each artifact has been cleaned. Our Curatorial staff carefully places each object in front of a white background and adjusts the lighting to ensure consistency.

We take a profile and a three-quarter profile shot to showcase the entire artifact. Canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft are larger than your average artifact, but it’s essential to ensure we have a photo of each one in its entirety. It is of course a little easier to get a full profile photo of small artifacts and paddles!

Next, we take many detailed photos. These often include distinguishing features, unique elements, maker’s marks, or areas that signal overall condition. 📸🛶🔍

Our team then names the files with the artifact’s accession number and enters the new photos into our Collections Database.

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📸 Photo: A graphic with a photo of a Museum Assistant photographing a model canoe on a table covered in white packing foam. White curtains hang in the background, and two large black softbox lights are on either side of the table. Below the image, on a white background, is “The Final Portage” logo, as well as text that reads “Thank you to our sponsors” followed by a McWilliams Moving & Storage logo, a kawarthaNOW logo, a Peterborough & The Kawarthas Tourism logo, and a Grant Thornton logo.

Thank you to our incredible Move the Collection: The Final Portage sponsors:

Official Mover of The Canadian Canoe Museum: McWilliams Moving & Storage
Official Media Sponsor: kawarthaNOW.com
Official Tourism Sponsor: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism / Small Business Support at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development
Final Portage Partner: Grant Thornton LLP Canada

07/22/2021

We still have spots available in our Basic Lakewater Tandem Canoe Course - Saturday, August 14th & Sunday, August 22nd 🛶

07/17/2021

I’m very excited for our friends at the Canadian Canoe Museum.

WELCOME BACK! We're ready when you are This page was last updated on July 13, 2021 with updates to our Hours of Operations. We can’t wait to welcome you back to the museum! Before we do, we want to let you know that we’ve made a few changes to our galleries to keep you, our volunteers, and staff...

07/06/2021

Spending the day in Hope? We have canoe rentals available 🛶Delivery to all local lakes. DM for pricing and availability.

07/03/2021

Basic Tandem Canoe Course at Kawkawa Lake in beautiful Hope BC! Join Water Ways Canoe and start a new adventure, start canoeing! A practical and safe introduction to canoeing, giving you the all the skills you need to get out and explore! 🛶

06/26/2021

Here are our canoe rentals specific to Chilliwack 🛶
If you have any further questions or would like to book your canoe, please DM us or email [email protected].

06/26/2021

Looking to rent a canoe in Hope or Chilliwack? Paddles & PFD's included. Pick up & delivery available. Hourly/Daily/Weekly rates ☀

06/26/2021

Happy National Canoe Day!
I hope you’re staying cool out on the water!

Happy ! 🛶

Be sure to share your 📸 - whether you are out on the water paddling today or a throwback - and tag us (). We will be sharing your posts on our social media today to celebrate.

National Canoe Day is all about celebrating the canoe, the joy it brings, and the connections it fosters - to nature, one another, and ourselves!

As part of these celebrations, we recognize the canoe's origins. Indigenous Peoples around the world designed, built and used the first canoes (and kayaks). The canoe embodies Indigenous cultural memory – and is a living being with both historical and contemporary relevance. We express our gratitude to the Indigenous peoples, cultures, and communities who birthed canoes in all their forms, and to this day, are continued innovators of these watercraft. Thank you!