Canoe Country ~ The Making of Canada

Author Roy MacGregor starts off his book with his own personal experiences canoeing.  This leads on to stories of the conservationist Grey Owl, and how Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's love of canoeing would lead to the development of Canada's Heritage River System.  Canoeing enthusiast Bill Mason, of course must play an integral part in any discussion of canoeing in Canada.  Mason once told Trudeau that the canoe should have been on the Canadian flag instead of the maple leaf.

The original canoeists were the voyageurs who could paddle 130 kilometres in a day, taking a pipe break every hour, plus cross portages with two ninety pound packs several times.  In hopes of saving General Gordon in Khartoum, the British called upon Canadian voyageuers to paddle soldiers up the Nile.  Unfortunately they arrived too late.  These voyageuers were not true voyageuers, but were river raftsmen as the use of the canoe had virtually died away by this time.

Canoeing can be dangerous.  A spill is scary, but for some it can be deadly as the author points out with the case of Blair Fraser.

One must not forget that women like to canoe, too.  Numerous women are listed as avid paddlers.  Even families have trekked across this nation by canoe.  It is not a pastime just enjoyed by men alone.  There were many people who explored and opened up this country using the canoe.  One of the most influential was David Thompson.  Throughout his explorations and mapping he was joined by his wife, Charlotte Small.

MacGregor concludes his book with a discussion of the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, and its importance to the story of the canoe.  A book well worth reading for fans of canoeing.  It makes you want to get out on the water and go canoeing!