Northern Lakes Gravenhurst Paddle June 24

Alex Guthro

LOVES Wooden Canoes
The Northern Lakes chapter met at the Muskoka Discovery Centre’s (http://realmuskoka.com/discovery-centre/) canoe day celebration – “The Birchbark Highway”. The day included an on the water session led by Ron Riddell and a discussion on the history of the area as a major transportation route used for centuries by Indigenous people, European explorers, and more recent use by the logging industry. In addition to the guided paddle we were able tour the Boat Shop and chat with resident canoe builder Michael Shumaker. Michael is currently working on a canoe that he built from a replica B.N. Morris form that was built under his guidance. Another highlight was Wayne Parker’s birchbark canoe that he helped construct. Wayne said it was built using a single piece of bark. It’s a beauty, weighs less than 30 pounds, and is shown in the photos.

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