The Madawaska Canoe Co. of Canada

 

About Us

The Madawaska Canoe Co. of Canada, Whitney, Algonquin, Ontario CanadaThe Madawaska Canoe Co. of Canada, Whitney, Algonquin, Ontario Canada

The Madawaska Canoe Co. of Canada,
Two Locations to serve you:
St. Catharines,On, Canada
Whitney, Ontario , CANADA
Just East of the Algonquin Park East Gate, Ontario Canada

Head Office 18 Oakdale Ave., St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. L2P 2B9


Feel Free to Email Us about Backwoods Camping, Fishing, Campgrounds,
Algonquin Park, Lodges, Guides & let us help plan your trip to Algonquin for 2012 (click Here!)
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Our History:

      Since 1975  Our Family has Camped and paddled the lakes and rivers of Algonquin Park. We have used just about every type of Canoe made to travel the interior of Algonquin over the years. We have been selling Fiberglass canoes to other enthusiasts since 1976. Our over 30 years of experience has led us to design a canoe that is the lightest in each category that can be made while retaining the maximum strength in the hull. So, they are  not necessarily the lightest canoes made, that is not our goal. You also need a tough canoe that will last for many years. So the combination of the right materials in the right places, the latest construction methods, and the reinforcement necessary to survive for years at the cottage or traveling the wilderness of Canada has resulted in one of the best value yet strongest durable canoes made today.
For quite a few years our Canoes were custom built to our specs by our friends at Watson Canoes of Weston, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. Watson has now retired from the business & closed shop. As a result we are now producing the majority of our canoes in our own facilities. We are now introducing some new unique modern construction designs incorporating Aramid Fiber (Kevlar) as well as retaining our Standard Fiberglass Canoes that have docked at campsites and cottages for many years. Using the latest technologies, ideas and materials we will continue to provide quality canoes at great prices. (of course all our Canoes are still Built in Canada.) We are a full Service Canoe maker and produce our own Seats, Thwarts, Yokes & Gunwales from our own select Ash wood. We can provide you with your custom repair and replacement parts. We produce both a "Budget Line" and "Select Deluxe Quality Canoes", all with high quality sturdy construction.


Making of Our Wooden Canoe Parts:
We start with rough cut 4/4 ash lumber and plane it to size. We then select the best grain showing in the wood to use for making each part, Yokes, Gunwales, Thwarts Seats, etc. We avoid any imperfections or knots in the wood as much as possible, after all it is natures wood and varies with each piece. We select the best grain for strength and best appearance and cut the wood to the proper blank width & length for each part we make. Our standard thickness for wood blanks is ¾ inches thick. Our yokes and thwarts are may be up to 7/8 inches if the wood permits.
We then cut shape and sand each part to its final shape. Some are coated with Spar Varnish or Water Based exterior varnish. Some are supplied as replacement parts unfinished. All replacement parts should be re-sanded and the ends re-varnished after you cut them to fit your Canoe. Our Premium Gunwales are oiled only upon installation as we know that varnish is not the best coating for Gunwales. They are made to flex and oiling at least twice a year is a better option. Ash wood will naturally yellow more with time. It is a strong yet flexible Hardwood and will usually bend before breaking making it one of the best woods for canoe parts. We also make some yokes in red oak or other woods as available to us. We can supply seats, yokes, thwarts and other parts to replace those ugly aluminum cross pieces in your canoe or parts to refurbish your canoe. Custom sizes made on request.


At Madawaska Canoes we use a Aramid Fiber Cloth from suppliers that is suitable for making boats and canoes . We do not feel that we should mislead you and say it is Kevlar as that is a trademark of only one company even though most people may refer to this commonly now as "Kevlar" in their canoes, it may in fact be or not be the Dupont Product Kevlar.