New video series celebrates canoe culture in Ontario

It’s a beloved pastime of many Canadians, embedded in the psyche of our nation. It’s been argued that Canada wouldn’t be the place we know, that its history wouldn’t have been the same without it. It was even selected as one of the Seven Wonders of Canada by CBC.

The humble canoe provides an experience like no other, suspending paddlers between water, air and land in a way unlike any other means of transportation. A series of new videos released this year by Ontario Tourism celebrate the canoe and canoe culture and share how paddling in Ontario has enriched the lives of five different people.

If it is love that binds people to places in this nation of rivers and in this river of nations then one enduring expression of that simple truth, is surely the canoe.
James Raffan, adventurer, acclaimed author and Director Emeritus of the Canadian Canoe Museum in The Canoe

It’s a series that delights the staff at Algonquin Outfitters (AO), which has been extolling the virtues of canoeing for decades. The company began renting canoes seasonally at its first location at Oxtongue Lake in 1961 when 40 cedar-canvas Chestnuts were delivered by train from the factory in Fredericton, NB.

For the first 30 years, Algonquin Outfitters remained a seasonal business specializing in canoe rentals and complete outfitting for Algonquin Park canoe trips under the watchful eye of Bill Swift Sr. Over the years, as his sons Rich and Bill Jr. became more involved in the company, Rich expanded the retail side of the company while Bill Jr. headed up the Swift Canoe Company which designed and built the Kipawa, a canoe designed specifically for Algonquin Park canoe tripping. Swift Canoe & Kayak also produces popular models like the Prospector as well as new modern designs like the Keewaydin and the new solo pack canoes. All modern and classic Swift canoe models are available for rent at AO.

AO has since expanded to multiple retail operations both in Algonquin Park and across Muskoka, but its original vision – promoting the outdoors and, in particular, canoe tripping – has remained a popular offering with its customers and visitors from around the world.

“There’s nothing better than being out in a canoe and no better place to paddle than the rivers and lakes in Algonquin Park and Muskoka,” says Rand Mitson, AO’s Marketing Manager.

See The Canoe trailer below and check out the video series here. You can also see The Canoe at the Reel Paddling Film Festival hosted by Algonquin Outfitters at the Algonquin Theatre on June 2 and in Haliburton (NEW!) at the Northern Lights Theatre on June 9.

Many paddlers are already planning their spring, summer and fall trips into Algonquin Park. AO offers full outfitting packages – guided or self-guided – for those who don’t have their own equipment or who don’t want to travel with it.

Want to plan your own canoe trip? Learn how here.

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