Canadian Canoe Museum
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Canoe Museum is a museum dedicated to canoe
s located in Peterborough
, Ontario
, Canada
. The museum's mission is to preserve and share the culture and history of the canoe.
at Camp Kandalore, north of Minden, Ontario, when a friend presented Professor Wipper with a dugout
made circa 1890. Over the years, the collection grew. It was housed inadequately in wooden buildings at Kandalore, and by the late 1980s it was becoming clear that a new home would be needed. Wipper transferred control of his historic collection in 1994 to the organization now called the Canadian Canoe Museum. The museum now holds the largest collection of its kind, with more than 600 canoes and kayaks, as well as a thousand related artifacts. The museum opened its doors to the public at its new location on Canada Day
in 1997.
In May, 2006, Prince Andrew
, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family, accepted the invitation to become the royal patron
of the museum, and visited on May 11 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. He also donated three canoes, originally built in the area of Peterborough, and gifted to the Royal Family between 1947 and 1981, on long-term loan.
where visitors can hear creation stories. Visitors can also try their hand at building a birch bark canoe in the Preserving Skills Gallery, plan a prospecting expedition like in the gold rush
days, feel what it was like to be a voyageur during the fur trade
era, and enjoy the cottaging lifestyles of the early 20th century.
A notable exhibit started in October 2001, when the Museum gained further prominence with the launch of Reflections: The Land, the People and the Canoe. This landmark exhibit featured Pierre Trudeau
's famous buckskin jacket and birch bark canoe on public display for the first time, along with the personal artifacts of other significant paddlers, including Bill Mason
, Victoria Jason and Eric Morse.
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s located in Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The museum's mission is to preserve and share the culture and history of the canoe.
History
It was originally founded as the Kanawa Museum, which was also called the Kanawa International Collection of Canoes, Kayaks and Rowing Craft, in 1957 by Kirk WipperKirk Wipper
Kirk Albert Walter Wipper, C.M. was a Canadian academic and founder of the Canadian Canoe Museum, which is presently located in Peterborough, Ontario...
at Camp Kandalore, north of Minden, Ontario, when a friend presented Professor Wipper with a dugout
Dugout (boat)
A dugout or dugout canoe is a boat made from a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. Monoxylon is Greek -- mono- + ξύλον xylon -- and is mostly used in classic Greek texts. In Germany they are called einbaum )...
made circa 1890. Over the years, the collection grew. It was housed inadequately in wooden buildings at Kandalore, and by the late 1980s it was becoming clear that a new home would be needed. Wipper transferred control of his historic collection in 1994 to the organization now called the Canadian Canoe Museum. The museum now holds the largest collection of its kind, with more than 600 canoes and kayaks, as well as a thousand related artifacts. The museum opened its doors to the public at its new location on Canada Day
Canada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
in 1997.
In May, 2006, Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family, accepted the invitation to become the royal patron
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of the museum, and visited on May 11 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. He also donated three canoes, originally built in the area of Peterborough, and gifted to the Royal Family between 1947 and 1981, on long-term loan.
Exhibits
The Canadian Canoe Museum's exhibits explore how the canoe defines the Canadian character and spirit. As well as the canoe collection, the museum features a dramatic waterfall, and a traditional Mi'kmaq wigwamWigwam
A wigwam or wickiup is a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes. The term wickiup is generally used to label these kinds of dwellings in American Southwest and West. Wigwam is usually applied to these structures in the American Northeast...
where visitors can hear creation stories. Visitors can also try their hand at building a birch bark canoe in the Preserving Skills Gallery, plan a prospecting expedition like in the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
days, feel what it was like to be a voyageur during the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
era, and enjoy the cottaging lifestyles of the early 20th century.
A notable exhibit started in October 2001, when the Museum gained further prominence with the launch of Reflections: The Land, the People and the Canoe. This landmark exhibit featured Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's famous buckskin jacket and birch bark canoe on public display for the first time, along with the personal artifacts of other significant paddlers, including Bill Mason
Bill Mason
Bill Mason was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves. Mason was also known for including passages from Christian sermons in his films...
, Victoria Jason and Eric Morse.
Visiting information
The Canadian Canoe Museum is located on 910 Monaghan Road, Peterborough, ON. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, and parking is free. The museum's hours and admission rates are available on the official website.Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.
External links
- Canadian Canoe Museum website
- Map to the Canadian Canoe Museum
- Kirk Albert Walter Wipper Official Web Site
- "Who was Kirk Wipper" from David Spencer's Education Paragon