Norwest canoes fire

Andre Cloutier

Firestarter. Wicked Firestarter.
Lost to fire. Not much to say. a terrible loss.
 

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Better times last summer
 

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Some shots of the shop summer of 2021
 

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That's a major loss. Wow. Any idea what started it? Hopefully the plugs survived.
 
Fire has probably caused more losses for canoe companies than anything other than market conditions. The Sanborn Insurance Maps commonly rated canoe manufacturing as one of their highest risks. See the links below for more about various canoe company fires over the years.




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Rough translation of the report in French;
A family business for canoe fabrication was razed by flames on the night of Monday-Tuesday in the Laurentians (mountain region).

The flames destroyed the site of North West Canoes located on Father Labelle Blvd. The fire started a little after 4AM and a number of area firefighters were called to the location to control the raging blaze.
 
Mike, its a total loss. forms, patterns, tools, everything. Excavator is scraping the site.
 
Mike, its a total loss. forms, patterns, tools, everything. Excavator is scraping the site.
That's horrible. This is a family business with the most practical working roots. A major loss to a way of life. Although they built recreational products, the cultural value of Nor-West is far greater. You are fortunate to have paid them a visit. It was on my bucket list.
 
Benson, thought of that as well, was very nice. Super guy, we traded back and forth a bunch, i dont know if any outbuidings were taken but given proximity i can assume. Glad i got the early Chestnut sponson and the closed rail pleasure he picked up for me out of there and didnt procrastinate. The historical loss is the devastating part. No one cares about drums of epoxy, but your grandfathers forms and patterns are another matter entirely.
 
What is a MC model?

Very little is known about the MC model. I would like to study one some day. The link below has more details from a prior discussion about canoes like this and along with the build record for the one at Nor-West canoe. This model was never listed in the Old Town catalogs but an MC form was included in the factory inventories from 1914 to 1936. It appears to have had unusually high tips, like the ones on the Chestnut Indian Maiden model and on some canoes from the Detroit area. My guess is that the MC was for Morgan Company since most of them shipped there. This would be similar to the early Molitor models that shipped to C. J. Molitor's canoe house. Please let me know if anyone finds another. Thanks,

Benson




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Canots Nor-West Canoes just posted the following message and pictures in the Chestnut Canoes and Boats group on Facebook.

"Early Tuesday morning a fire completely destroyed our workshop, for our employees, families, valued customers and friends there are several memories that were destroyed. We want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write to us. Hoping for the best for the future
North West Canoes"



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There is another article at https://www.journallenord.com/actua...-west-en-estrie-pour-oublier-le-mauvais-sort/ which Google translates as the following:

Fire at Canots Nor-West: In the Eastern Townships to forget bad luck
By Luc Robert

Members of the Gariépy clan, whose famous business Canots Nor-West recently burned down in Prévost, put the test behind them by going to support a kid at the Bantam A hockey tournament in Windsor.

Grandson of Jean Gariépy, Frédéric Thouin also saw his aunt Brigitte Gariépy come to brave the freezing temperatures at the J.A. Lemay Sports Center to encourage the A1 Lions of Saint-Jérôme, who reached the semi-finals.

"There's probably over a million dollars in fire damage. It remains to be seen how the insurance companies will assess all of this. Carle (current manager) will then decide whether to rebuild or not. It's a big piece of history that has gone up in smoke. I myself worked there in my youth,” recalled Brigitte Gariépy.

Emotional, his father Jean was looking for the right words to describe the drama, he who took over from the founder Augustin in 1994, with his brothers Robert, Roger and François, in the making of custom canoes.

“The sharing of knowledge has been passed down from one generation to the next. The grandsons of Augustin (my father), Carle and Dominique, carried on the tradition. The molds and jigs have gone through it. We would have to start all over again,” he testified.

Through the ages
The beautiful history and fame of Canots Nor-West go beyond Quebec borders. The company has risen to the challenge of various eras to become the largest cedar canoe builder in Canada.

“We do not yet know if the blaze is due to an electrical cause or another. It's a shame to end like this. My father's company was founded in 1945, to meet the demands of hunting and fishing enthusiasts, sportsmen, prospectors and cruise guides, etc., also for the transport of goods in the Canadian Arctic. When we arrived in the Laurentians, we built the first house on Route 11 (now Route 117), in Lesage (Prévost),” recalled Mr. Gariépy with nostalgia.
 
Benson, thanks for sharing. Anyone have any thoughts on what can be done to help them get back in business, not just to have income but to revive their important contributions? I am up for ordering the next canoe they build.
 
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