Please note this page may no longer be up to date. For new stories about Northern Ontario visit us here.
DON'T MISS THIS SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY
The Jiimaan Project gives you the opportunity to experience the construction of a Gitigan Ziibi-style birch bark canoe and to learn about Indigenous canoe-making traditions while visiting the Canadian Canoe Museum, an engaging, family-friendly place that explores Canadian history told through the canoe.
Chuck Commanda, grandson of the late Algonquin elders and honoured canoe builders William and Mary Commanda, is one of the few practicing First Nations birch bark canoe makers. He will be demonstrating traditions and techniques of traditional canoe building, which are a celebration of a complex and ancient relationship with familiar landscapes and waterways.
The Canadian Canoe Museum is located at 910 Monaghan Road, Peterborough.
CELEBRATING THE CANADIAN CANOE CULTURE IN ONTARIO
The Canoe is a film documenting five different stories of Ontarians who have connected to the natural environment, each other, and themselves through paddling. The segment from the film below features Gail Bannon, who is teaching Indigenous youth at Fort William First Nation how to build a birch bark canoe. Read their story of how they experience the deeper meaning of learning a traditional craft.
Recommended Articles
Destination Dupes
Attention Detroit
Dogs Welcome!
Free Day Use at Ontario Parks
Guide to Grundy Lake Provincial Park
Go Foraging in Ontario
Hike The Best Trails
Where to See Ontario's Coolest Wildlife
Canoeing in Toronto
Adventure Races Ontario
Backpacking Trails in Ontario
Wildflowers of Ontario
The Best Camping in Ontario
Ontario Trail Races 2026
Your Guide to Six Mile Lake Provincial Park
Guide to Restoule Provincial Park
Arrowhead Provincial Park Guide
Pancake Bay: Ontario’s Ultimate Beach Escape
Ontario’s National Parks