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Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of joining 35 members of our volunteer team on a road trip to the beautiful town of Kingston, ON. The bus trip is an annual outing for us and each fall we head to a new destination to explore different cities, museums and attractions. The number one goal of the trip is to provide our volunteers with a chance to meet new people, see new places and have a blast experiencing new things. While we’re at it, we also try to take advantage of opportunities for professional development and to see how other institutions run their show.
Our day began at the MacLachlan Woodworking Museum participating in a Curator’s Tour. Read the rest of this entry »
The Canadian Canoe Museum is excited to announce that you can now host your next event in the McLean/Matthews Gallery! In addition to our main event space, we are extending our policies so that you can hold your function in the main lobby of the Museum. This is very exciting because it means that your guests can enjoy cocktails and appetizers while interacting with the largest collection of canoes and kayaks in the world.
I’m dedicating this blog post to all of the amazing volunteers, past and present, who have committed their time and energy to the Canoe Museum! It’s National Volunteer Week and we’re celebrating all of our volunteers all week long. Volunteers are at the heart of this Museum. They oversee front line operations, assist with special events and serve on committees and on the Board of Directors. They also volunteer in the wood shop, in the office, and in the areas of collections and archives. Talented artisans and tour guides top off our diverse volunteer team.
To give you an idea of the scope of work our volunteers take on, consider that in 2013 alone, 13,144 total hours were contributed by 124 volunteers including the Board of Directors and committees. We are incredibly lucky that this group of talented, passionate and generous people choose the Canoe Museum as one of the ways they give back to their community. THANK YOU to each and every one of our volunteers. We couldn’t do it without you!!
The Canoe Museum was buzzing with excitement last night as over 100 people piled in to the Education Room for a very special evening! Our very own Executive Director, James Raffan, teamed up with CBC personality and Jack Matthews Fellow Shelagh Rogers for an intimate evening of conversation and film. The talk featured three of Shelagh’s favourite things: writers, writing and the North. The conversation led in to a screening of her recent documentary Northwords, which features her experience of travelling to Torngat Mountain National Park in northern Labrador with five Canadian writers (one of them being Canoe Museum Ambassador, Joseph Boyden!). The film reflects the adventures of their travels, as well as their quest for inspiration to create new works and add to the ongoing stories of the north. Read the rest of this entry »
I know it seems like it’s still far away, but with Thanksgiving under our belts (no pun intended) and Halloween around the corner, the next big thing to look forward to and plan for is Christmas!! I absolutely love the holiday season and have no problem brainstorming gift ideas and thinking about decor, even in October. However, one part of Christmas that does seem to sneak up on me (and many other folks I’m sure) is the scheduling and planning of holiday parties with friends, family and co-workers. So, here is a friendly reminder that now is the perfect time to book your party or get-together, and the Canoe Museum is a fun and interactive venue for you and your guests. Read the rest of this entry »
Over the past 6 weeks the Canoe Museum’s multi-purpose event space has been getting quite the workout! We love opening our doors for public events and private rentals, and there has been such a diverse range of uses for our Education Room recently. Of course, our beloved Ed Room accommodates the thousands of children and youth who come to the Museum on school and class trips throughout the year. The room also plays double-duty as our main event space for so many different types of occasions:
The Canoe Museum has recently played host to 2 weddings, 2 surprise parties and an anniversary party.
Last week myself, my co-guide Jeff, and 10 totally awesome and enthusiastic youth headed out for 3 days of paddling and camping in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. This is the second year that the Canoe Museum has offered a session of Tripping Camp amongst 5 weeks of Summer Paddling Camps and, if it’s truly time to wrap up a summer on the water, this is the best possible way to do it.
Tripping Camp began with a day of preparation and packing at the Canoe Museum. These kids were earning their ORCKA Canoe Tripping Level 1A certification, meaning they were super involved in the packing of all food, group gear and personal gear. One of the really cool things we did on this first day was make our own homemade hummus from scratch and dehydrate it so it would take up minimal space in our food barrel (let’s be serious, the more room in there for desserts the better). Click here for the simple and yummy recipe we used! We tripled the recipe for 12 hungry trippers and it was the perfect amount for lunch on the first day with pitas and veggies. We followed these guidelines from the Rapid Media (Museum Corporate Member) website for instructions on dehydrating and rehydrating hummus. The rest of the day was spent setting up and checking over our gear, loading up the wanigan and getting to know each other before we headed out on trip. Read the rest of this entry »
Ever wonder what summer camp is like at The Canadian Canoe Museum? We’re almost through Week 1 of our Summer Paddling Camps – check out what we’ve been up to!
We’ve been hanging out on the beautiful Otonabee River and, after only a few days of practice, we’re maneuvering our canoes in straight lines, pivots and from side to side. This week’s crew are working on achieving their ORCKA levels 1 and 2. The Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association is the governing body of all canoeing and kayaking certifications in this province. Our campers will be certified paddlers by week’s end! Read the rest of this entry »
Last night I joined a small group of Canadian Canoe Museum volunteers at the Ontario Volunteer Service Awards ceremony here in Peterborough. Pat Varty, Gloria Gibson, Arlene Ketchum, Don Duncan, and Nan Sidler were recognized for a combined total of over 35 years of volunteer service at the Museum! Thank you all for your strong commitment to volunteerism both here at the Museum and in our community at large.
From left to right: Nan Sidler, Jeff Leal, Gloria Gibson, Pat Varty, Don Duncan. Absent: Arlene Ketchum.
Hi there! My name is Stacey Reynolds and I am thrilled to introduce myself to all of you as the new Volunteer and Events Coordinator here at the Museum. I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight a little bit about what I do and how I can help you with all of your event, room rental and volunteer needs.
I’m your go-to gal if you are looking to host your next meeting, conference, or private function here at the Canoe Museum. With unlimited access to our fully equipped kitchen and large rental space, the Museum is a unique venue for all sorts of gatherings, big and small. We even offer wedding packages and play host to large parties for Jack n’ Jills, anniversaries, engagements and birthdays.
One of my favourite aspects of my new role is interacting with all of the amazing Museum volunteers. These folks are dedicated and talented individuals who bring so much to the table. From the customer service volunteers at reception and in the gift shop, to event volunteers and the crews in the wood and metal shops, we’re lucky to attract an eclectic mix of volunteers that add to the vibrancy and culture of the Canoe Museum.
If you would like to become part of the terrific volunteer team, or if you have inquires about room rentals and events, please email me at stacey.reynolds@canoemuseum.ca or give me a call at 705.748.9153 x210. I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have. Thank you for welcoming me wholeheartedly to The Canadian Canoe Museum; I am excited to be here!
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