People

Canoeroots contributor, Mike Ormsby has made it to round two of the Aviva Community Fund and is currently collecting votes to make it to round three. Here's a bit about Mike's proposal as presented on www.avivacommunityfund.org.

My idea is to create a program for youth based on canoe building.

The canoe building programs would be with any youth groups, including First Nations youth and inner city youth....such programs could build in skill development….on traditions and culture....and add to self esteem. Besides these, the canoe is a great building tool to also teach about Canadian history, culture and identity. Especially for new Canadians or those in urban centres without much exposure to the outdoors.

There is interest to develop such a program that could be based throughout southern Ontario....initially in only a few centres such as Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener/Waterloo or Brantford....eventually expanding to Peterborough, Parry Sound, and Ottawa....to include (rather than exclude) all youth....but with a definite desire to involve Native and inner city youth....to develop a network of boat builders across Ontario to work with such a program through the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association and/or the Wood Canoe Builders’ Guild. There is definite interest from members of the Wood Canoe Builders Guild. There is also support from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, who may be able to provide possible seed money for start-up. There is a possibility to tie in with the Canadian Canoe Museum....such a program could even further develop to include paddle making and tripping programs (including winter months), using traditional techniques (like wood canvas canoes, etc.) that the youth would have built....possibly even partner with programs like YMCA camps, Project CANOE, or Trails Youth Initiatives. Project CANOE has shown interest in taking part.

Such a youth canoe building program could become self-sufficient with the sales of some canoes built being reinvested in the program. Canoes built could be raffled off or sold directly. Restoration work of older canoes (including recanvassing) could also be undertaken to generate a source of income for the program.

Just an idea....but worth “building” on.

As background, I did an online search of canoe building programs that are geared to youth, including inner city youth. Here are examples of youth oriented programs:

Vermont: Greenmont Farms, http://greenmontfarms.com/canoe_project.shtml

Toronto: With paddles in hand, youth take to the water in their hand-crafted canoe http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/9da959222128b9e885256618006646d3/f900400c65f1c7858525731b006c6b29?OpenDocument

Sprague College, http://www.stlawu.edu/news/spraguecanoe.html

Minnesota: Urban Boatbuilders, http://urbanboatbuilders.org/

Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Wooden Boat Factory Program, http://woodenboatfactory.org/PWBF/Canoe_Build.html.

Go to www.avivacommunityfund.org to show your support and place your vote.