- Canadian Canoe Museum
The Canadian Canoe Museum, located in
Peterborough, Ontario ,Canada , is the only canoe museum inNorth America . It was originally founded as the Kanawa Museum in1957 by Kirk W. Wipper 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 to the organization now called the Canadian Canoe Museum in1994 . This 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 onCanada Day in 1997. The museum's mission is to preserve and share the culture and history of thecanoe .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. [ [http://www.canoemuseum.net/about/whatsnew.asp#92 The Canadian Canoe Museum - About the Museum - News & Events ] ]
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 wigwam 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 thegold rush days, feel what it was like to be a voyageur during thefur 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, includingBill Mason , 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 [http://www.canoemuseum.net/about/hours.asp] .
ee also
*
List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage External links
* [http://www.canoemuseum.net/ Canadian Canoe Museum website]
Footnotes
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