If you’re a canoeist and you haven’t been living like Dick Proenneke in the remote Alaskan wilderness, you’ve probably already watched Goh Iromoto‘s stunning new movie, The Canoe. If you truly have been living off-grid in a cabin you built yourself with handtools, squeakily narrating your own life story over footage from a 16mm wind-up camera and are only now returning to civilization to check your email and get caught up with the real world, you should start by watching this film.
The Canoe is an exploration of canoe culture in Canada, weaving together themes such as connection to nature, Indigenous culture, family, landscapes, newcomers to Canada and overcoming challenges, all told through stories of paddlers across the province of Ontario. It’s a love letter to the open boat, the single-bladed paddle and the lakes and rivers that this most perfect vessel was created for.
I was lucky enough to see the full film on the big screen during the Reel Paddling Film Festival premiere in Toronto on Feb. 23, 2017, hosted by The Complete Paddler, but you can also watch the entire 26-minute documentary online by clicking here.
If The Canoe doesn’t pull at your maple syrup-coated Canadian heartstrings and get you excited for the upcoming paddling season, I don’t know what will. #PaddleON, folks.
For more stories, information and trip ideas regarding Canadian Canoe Culture, please visit ontariotravel.net/paddle.
the happy adventure 