moving forward - Canadian Canoe Museum

canoe for our collection. The return route took us home via
the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, N.Y. The trip was a
wonderful opportunity to spend some time exploring both
of these museums’ exhibits, collections storage and archives
again, meet with museum Staff and also to do some
research for an upcoming exhibit.
At the start of 2010, the CCM’s advice was sought on a very
old birch bark canoe that had come to light in a storage
shed in Cornwall, England. The canoe, once owned by Lt.
Col. John Enys (who served in the 29th Regiment of Foot
in Canada during the American War of Independence),
has not aged gracefully and will require extensive work to
support and stabilize the broken hull. Notwithstanding this,
its age and excellent provenance make it a very significant
find, and among the oldest documented bark canoes
known to exist. I am pleased to say that the canoe’s owners
have declared their intention to donate it to the CCM.
I anticipate that the canoe will return to Canada in the
fall of 2011, following a period of display at the National
Maritime Museum in Cornwall.
New Aquisitions
Every year, a considerable number
of canoes and related artifacts are
offered for consideration by the CCM to
acquire for its collection. This year was
unusually fruitful, and many remarkable
canoes came to the attention of our
Collections Committee for review. Many
of our new acquisitions were selected
to make our collection more complete.
The Collections Committee also looks
for watercraft that have unique histories
or features added by their owners, and
for those required for future exhibits. The
following are only a few highlights from
a list of this past year’s acquisitions:
• Lapstrake decked paddling canoe
by the noted Adirondack builder
J.H. Rushton.
• 24’ James Bay freighter canoe
named CHEECHOO.
• Chestnut Labrador- model
expedition canoe.
www.canoemuseum.ca Canadian Canoe Museum Annual Report 2010 7