Photo: Our team has begun transferring canoes and kayaks to the new Collection Hall. On the left, empty racks line one of the five aisles, while canoes and kayaks fill the right side from floor to ceiling. Once complete, the Collection Hall will be home to more than 500 canoes and kayaks.​ This Giving Tuesday, be part of something special – join us in our mission to Fill the Collection Hall with over 500 canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft, each with their own unique memories and histories! The Canadian Canoe Museum recently achieved a significant milestone in our move to the water’s e ..read more

Photo: Mollie Cartmell in a tartan sweater and a scarf. In the background are blue waves.​ It is with sadness that we mark the passing of long-time Canadian Canoe Museum volunteer Mollie Cartmell, who died in her riverside home in Peterborough on August 10th. Anyone involved in museum affairs, certainly anyone who attended any of the dozens of events that occurred since the Museum’s inception in the mid-1990s, will remember Mollie. She would appear quietly, usually sometime after the event had begun, and then methodically work her way through the crowd documenting everything that was goin ..read more

Photo: Elder Eemeelayou Arnaquq writes Inuktitut words relating to the qajaq on chart paper. As an organization that stewards the world’s largest and most significant collection of canoes, kayaks & paddled watercraft, The Canadian Canoe Museum honours and shares the cultural histories and stories within the collection. Building a new facility has empowered the Museum to continue celebrating multiple voices and languages within the new exhibition more so than ever before. Forming and fostering reciprocal relationships has included knowledge sharing within Indigenous and non-Indigenous ..read more

kawarthaNOW editorial August 12, 2023  New Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough will grow regional tourism and the local economy “As The Canadian Canoe Museum awaits the completion of its new state-of-the-art facility on the shores of Little Lake and begins the monumental project of relocating its world-class collection of paddled watercraft, it’s becoming clear the new museum will play a vital role in shaping the region’s economic development by increasing tourism as well as supporting local businesses. After moving into its new 65,000-square-foot waterfront facility at 2077 Ashburnham ..read more

CBC News, Radio & The National August 4, 2023  World's largest museum collection of canoes on the move “It’s a portage unlike any other. Hundreds of canoes belonging to the Canadian Canoe Museum — some as long as a transport trailer — are being moved from their previous location in a former outboard motor factory in Peterborough, Ont., to a new waterfront home three kilometres away. The museum holds the world’s largest collection of paddled watercraft, from birchbark canoes handmade by Indigenous craftspeople to a sleek kayak used in the Olympic Games. The museum’s building for the p ..read more

Photo: Graphic that reads “11 Indigenous Authors We’re Celebrating for Indigenous History Month” next to a person in green pants reading an orange book. Blue, red, green, and grey shapes surround. Connected to the many watercraft cared for at The Canadian Canoe Museum are stories that speak to relationships between people, the land and the natural environment. These stories captivate audiences, inspire conversations and encourage diverse understandings of our shared cultures and histories. Join us in celebrating Indigenous History Month by diving into some of our favourite books and stori ..read more

Three dogs smile at the camera and rest their head on the thwart of a canoe. Text overlaid reads “Celebrate National Canoe Day, June 26, 2023 #NCD2023 #PaddlingPals”. Photo by James Raffan, Director of External Relations. Every June 26th, The Canadian Canoe Museums celebrates our favourite holiday of the year – National Canoe Day! ? What is National Canoe Day? June 26th was coined National Canoe Day by The Canadian Canoe Museum following a CBC campaign that, in 2007, declared the canoe one of the Seven Wonders of Canada. Ever since, and in many ways – from proclamations to paddli ..read more

Kimberley Wilson cleans an artifact with a brush and a vacuum. Kimberley Wilson cleans an artifact with a rag and smiles. Hello, my name is Kimberley. In January of 2023, I began an internship at The Canadian Canoe Museum as an Algonquin College Applied Museum Studies student on the last term of my three years of study for an Ontario College Advanced Diploma. Prior to interning, I volunteered in my boat-iful hometown of Kincardine. I enjoyed helping as an assistant for children’s programming in festivals and also facilitating at the local Walker House Museum, greeting visitors with h ..read more

Don Duncan canes a canoe seat while sitting in the galleries of The Canadian Canoe Museum. (2015). It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of a member of our community, Don Duncan, who passed away on March 18, 2023. Don was a dedicated and passionate volunteer who selflessly devoted countless hours to the Museum’s woodshop, Artisan Workshops, and special events over the past 19 years. Don’s love for woodworking first brought him to The Canadian Canoe Museum when he volunteered to build kitchen cabinets in the Education Centre in 2004. From there, he quickly became a valuable membe ..read more

Steady progress has been made, but industry-wide construction challenges have delayed the Museum’s opening to late summer or early fall. A photo of the new Canadian Canoe Museum on 2077 Ashburnham Drive under construction, taken January 20, 2023. 2023 will begin a new chapter in The Canadian Canoe Museum’s (CCM) history as the organization prepares to move to its new waterfront location, currently under construction along Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough, ON. “It is an exciting time for the Canadian Canoe Museum. A little more than a year ago, we had just begun construction. Since then, w ..read more