Information on vintage Langford Canoe

[Raveyard]

Hi, my husband and I have just inherited our first canoe. It came to us from a family member who lived in Sudbury. I am looking for more information on it if I am able to. Information on these Langford is hard to come by.
Here’s what we know.
The original owner passed away in the 80s, his son passed away this year leaving it to us. His wife has no clue about the canoe so we have nobody else to ask about it.

It has no serial number that we can find.

It has the original rectangular sticker, but it has mostly worn off.

The seats are the original hand woven cane.

I don’t know if the canvas is original, but do know it has been repainted. It used to be forest green.

It has a square hull. We don’t know if it was made custom like this or if it was added afterwards to accommodate a small motor (we also inherited a very cool old evinrude motor likely the same age.).

We would like to know the approximate age, whether the square hull is original or not, and any other cool and interesting facts and information on it anybody can offer. We will probably visit the Langford store next week and see what they would charge to have it restored, and if they have any information to offer as well.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Murat V]

Congrats on acquiring a vintage Langford. It looks to be in quite decent shape!

Much confusion exists about the early years of the company especially since Langford appears to have undergone 6 ownership changes since the original founder, Ken Langford started his "Langford Marine" business in 1945. This 1945 start date is according to public records and confirmed by his surviving daughter. The current owners may not be able to help with history (they claim the company was started in 1940 making it "Canada's Oldest") but might be able to give you a price for restoration in their facility in Quebec. I was at their Dwight location last month and was told it was a 2 year+ waiting list. There were other wood canvas canoes in their yard awaiting restoration too

Your rectangular decal is certainly one of their older ones and even though there may be no serial number there is a clue on the bottom left of the decal. You can just see the capital 'R.' Here's what an intact should look like.

The current owners think these decals date to the 1940s which is incorrect. The earliest Langford decals had "Grove Park Lodge, ONT" as the address, not "R.R.1 Baysville". Government records show the Grove Park address was used by Langford Marine until 1959. By 1960 their official location changed to R.R. 1 Baysville when mailing routes in the area were updated.

In 1967, Langford Marine was sold but Ken Langford retained the canoe business. It is only at this time the name "Langford Canoe Company" was registered and came into corporate existence. The decal was also changed to a reversed diamond shape as well. Unfortunately Mr. Langford passed away the following year 1968 and the business purchased by the 2nd owner, Ken Treadwell.

Based on the remnants of your decal, your canoe might be one of these late 1950s/early 1960s versions, and definitely before the 1967 sale of Langford Marine.

Treadwell continued to use Ken Langford's original forms and put out a brochure in 1974. Here's a page with their models offered:

If your canoe's dimensions are 16ft x 40" with a 15" depth, you might have the 16ft "V-Stern" model so it would've been shaped like this originally and not modified

Hope that helps