canvas time

[Andre Cloutier]

Really sad I've had my last paddle in the Guide special for the year, but she'll look great in the spring. Old girl leaks too much, found blue and red bandana patches and lots of tripping sand from all those miles.

 

[chris pearson]

There's enough sand on that puppy to use in the back of your car this winter!

 

[Murat V]

Wow thats a lot of sand!

Your canoe might be a bit famous, Andre. I found a picture of Keewaydin Canoe #58 featured in Heb Evans' out-of-print book, Canoeing Wilderness Waters. In the chapter on portaging there's a series of photos showing how to rig the tumpline with paddles and then this sequence on the portage flip.

 

[Dylan Schoelzel]

Wow, a reference to one of Heb Evan's books!

#58 in Heb's book is a different canoe than the one Andre has. The one in the book is a Chestnut Cruiser or Prospector. Andre's is a Fraser cruiser.

It is entirely possible that #58 in the book was the predecessor to Andre's #58.

Glad to see that Heb's book is owned by others. Have you read the Rupert that was?

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Murat, either you have a photographic memory or thats some great research! I like that he carried Zippos, those things are great and mine always goes on trips. It'll be 58 again, and I'm having the Fraser decals reproduced as well.

 

[Murat V]

Wow, a reference to one of Heb Evan's books!

#58 in Heb's book is a different canoe than the one Andre has. The one in the book is a Chestnut Cruiser or Prospector. Andre's is a Fraser cruiser.

It is entirely possible that #58 in the book was the predecessor to Andre's #58.

Glad to see that Heb's book is owned by others. Have you read the Rupert that was?

Now that I look closer, I don't see the Fraser decal. Guess I jumped the gun. It was coincidence that I had the book open on my desk to the chapter on rigging a tumpline for portaging when I got distracted with Andre's post. Then I went back to reading the book and noticed the "58". I had ordered Canoeing Wilderness Waters and Canoe Camping from BetterWorldBooks.com. Really great illustrations and information of the Temagami style of tripping. Don't have any of his other books but am planning to pick up more.

 

[Dylan Schoelzel]

No, you didn’t jump the gun. It’s a logical assumption. Both of these books were printed before Fraser started building canoes.

For those who don’t know Heb was a long time Staffman for Section A, Keewaydin’s oldest and most experienced group of boys. The section always travels to the Hudson Bay on one full length season trip (has been since 1911), hence the often referred to name, The Bay Trip.

Heb became and still is somewhat of a legend for pioneering routes throughout Quebec and Ontario. He never gained much public notoriety, but I don’t think he was looking for it, and I don’t think he cared for it either. His most notable trips were on the Rupert and Eastmain rivers in the 60’s. Heb learned much from his early tripping partner Nishe Belanger. Nishe was a Mattaw guide and is probably one of the more famous guides to hail from that region. His reputation of knowledge, skill, and whit is still talked about today, even though his last trip was in 68’ and he passed in 72’.