Moulded Plywood Canoes by Davidson Ski Factory

Wacanoe

Canoe Enthusiast
Does anyone have information on "Moulded Plywood Boats by Davidson Ski Factory, Vancouver B.C"? They apparent built canoes since I'm looking at a 14ft. model in beautiful condition with this printed on the front deck. When were they in business?, when did they close?, how many models did they make?, are there images available anywhere?, are they rare?, what problems to look out for?, etc., etc., etc. ...... Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks, Wacanoe
 
Images to Ponder

Here are some photos. Does anyone recognize the manufacturer?
 

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One more image

This image is of the bow deck plate. With a serial number of 323 you would assume several hundred were made. Interesting, eh?
 

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Dewar Boat Works of New Westminster, B.C., Canada is another 1950's cold moulded boat builder. Records of this company no longer seem to exist either.
 

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Nice photos

Dave, Thanks for the reply and the nice photos. New Westmister is about as close to Vancouver B.C. as you can get without being IN downtown Vancouver. It's interesting they have similar styles for the deck plate name, both curved on top, and both heat stamped/burned in. I'd still love to know more!
 
For what it is worth - Greenwood Water Craft was manufacturing wood/canvas canoes in the same area. They also burned their company name into the deck. Sorry I don't have any pictures of it on my computer.
 
I have been doing some research on the Davidson company(s) and this is the first that I have heard of them building canoes. I does not surprise me however, as they seemed to have had many interests over the years. What I have so far is that Hamish Davidson was a cabinet maker and early on developed an interest in building skis. He built wooden skis (and I'm sure many other things) through the late 1920's and into the 1940's. There is a pair of wooden skis in a museum in Quebec circa 1940 built by him. There is also a reference to him building some of the first fiberglass skis.
In the 1940's Davidson and Charles Hourston worked for Boeing together building the Mosquito bombers. In 1948 Davidson (with Charles Hourston) started building small boats of wood and later fiberglass. There seems to be several different companies under variations of the name Davidson.
In 1950 Hourston started his own company HourstonGlascraft. They are still building fiberglass boats and claim to be the world's oldest fiberglass boat builder, in continuous operation in Vancouver since 1950 (HourstonGlascraft.com). Davidson Manufacturing Ltd built row boats, tenders, lifeboats and work boats in Vancouver into the late 1970's as far as I can tell. They were the standard lifeboats on many of the BC ferries. Their hulls are traditional full displacement type, slow but very seaworthy. Davidson built about 3500 8', 9'6" and 12" dinghies many of which are still around. Hal Roth, the famous round the world sailor loved an 8 footer he had. Many versions continue to have a devoted following particularly the 17ft, 21ft and 26ft lifeboats and the Davidson "Chugger" work boat. They also advertized the Beaufort Life Rafts (4 to 25 person) in 1976. I suspect that the era of canoe building was early (1948 and early 1950's) before the serious production of fiberglass boats began, but this is just a guess. I continue to research this prolific and innovative builder and welcome any information on the topic. Cheers Philip
 
davidson canoe

there is a davidson canoe on the vancouver craigslist today...it's yellow and blue and it doesn't look like's wooden :confused:
 
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