sure, under the assumption you are talking about a strip/fiberglass/epoxy canoe.
Folks have made strippers out of about every wood available.
With that said, the usual wood is western red cedar, look for pieces with a few knots as possible. If you're lucky, there will be a yard near you that carries Aye or D grade cedar. Aye is clear, D has a few small knots, but they are more expensive then the knotty or deck grades.
Dan