The Great Canoe

A collection of first-hand accounts by Canada's finest canoeists of their favorite trips, featuring 24 profiles of paddling luminaries and conservation plans for protecting wild waterways.

Anticipating fame and wealth, Captain John Voss set out from Victoria, BC, in 1901, seeking to claim the world record for the smallest vessel ever to circumnavigate the globe. For the journey, he procured an authentic dugout cedar canoe from an Indigenous village on the east coast of Vancouver Island. For three years Voss and the Tilikum, aided by a rotating cast of characters, visited Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil and finally England, weathering heavy gales at sea and attracting large crowds of spectators on shore. The austere on-board conditions and simple navigational equipment Voss used throughout the voyage are a testimony to his skill and to the solid construction of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth vessel. Both Voss and his original mate, newspaperman N.K. Luxton, later wrote about their journey in accounts compromised by poor memories, brazen egos and outright lies. Stories of murder, cannibalism and high-seas terror have been repeated elsewhere without any regard to the truth. Now, over a century later, a full and fair account of the voyage—and the magnitude of Voss’s accomplishment—is at last fully detailed. In this groundbreaking work, marine historians John MacFarlane and Lynn Salmon sift fact from fiction, critically examining the claims of Voss’s and Luxton’s manuscripts against research from libraries, archives, museums and primary sources around the world. Including unpublished photographs, letters and ephemera from the voyage, Around the World in a Dugout Canoe tells the real story of a little-understood character and his cedar canoe. It is an enduring story of courage, adventure, sheer luck and at times tragedy.

A new edition of the best-selling guide, expanded with 10 more routes over 48 more pages. Ontario is blessed with some of the most scenic and enjoyable lakes and rivers in the world -- it truly is a paddler's paradise. Like the first edition of this book, this updated and expanded second edition is destined to become the classic guide to the very best canoeing the province has to offer. Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario includes 10 more of Kevin Callan's favorite canoe excursions. While some of these routes are well known to paddlers province-wide, such as the Bonnechere River, others are hidden secrets, like the ambitious and magical Woodland Caribou Park. The routes range from two-day paddles to week-long expeditions and are divided amongst nine regions: Southern Ontario, Cottage Country, Algonquin, Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Temagami, Ontario's Near North, Northern Ontario and Northwestern Ontario. Kevin gives paddlers all the information they need to complete each route, including accurate maps of all access points, portage lengths, important river features and campsites -- all embellished with historical notes and Kevin's trademark humor. He also includes a detailed "Before You Go" section in which he shares the expertise that has earned him the title of Canada's Happy Camper.

A sequel to Canada's Best Canoe Routes offers first-hand accounts of 31 prime paddling trips, profiles of 20 noteworthy paddlers, a tour of the Canadian Canoe Museum and paddling maxims

Imagine taking on the challenge of a cross-Canada canoe adventure: to live outdoors for months at a time, to embark on your destination knowing you have 8,515 kilometres ahead of you to paddle. Canoe for Change is the story of husband-and-wife team Glenn Green and Carol VandenEngel who took on this gift and privilege to see Canada from thousand-year-old water trails and form connections to nature that many have lost. Traversing through oceans, rivers, lakes and creeks, the couple completed a three-year paddle across Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. Manoeuvring tidal currents, high winds and waves, pulling their canoe over the Rocky Mountains, paddling through badlands, seeing wolves and bears on remote shorelines, they experienced Canada's natural beauty from the water's edge. Along the way, they found perseverance, companionship and self-discovery. In exploring this great land full of amazing diversity, one of their most remarkable memories is of the friendliness, kindness and generosity bestowed upon them by their fellow Canadians. Listen to the sound the paddle makes as it dips into the water and taste true freedom...after all, it is not a race but a retirement cruise. Outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers will find fascination and inspiration in Canoe for Change, while travellers and paddlers looking for a new way to see Canada will find helpful information about routes, equipment and logistics.

Paddling Southern Wisconsin will guide you down some of the state's most alluring rivers, immersing you in its shifting landscape and infinite beauty.

A comprehensive history of North American canoe traditions.

Temagami, located in northern Ontario (five hours north of Toronto by car) is a world-renowned canoe tripping destination featuring over 4,000 square miles of canoe country. The waterways of the Temagami region are particularly attractive since many of the routes form convenient trip loops. Hap Wilson compiles more than 25 canoe route descriptions, including hiking trails that cater to wilderness paddlers from beginner to expert. Climb Maple Mountain, camp at Centre Falls, listen to the wolves howl, or fish its fabled deep waters -- Temagami has it all.