Voyageur Canoe Tours
Curious what it would be like to paddle a 36-foot, 300-pound canoe? Join a crew and explore the waterways beyond the Museum’s docks in a Voyageur Canoe!
Paddle the waterways of the Otonabee River and Trent-Severn Canal system while our Voyageur Canoe Tour guides illuminate the natural and human history of the area. Be captivated by tales of Peterborough, the engineering behind the Trent-Severn Canal system, and the day-in and day-outs of Voyageur life. You may even face a few paddling challenges along the way!
Who can join a Voyageur Canoe Tour?
This fun and engaging tour is for all ages and all paddling abilities. This is, however, a participatory tour, and you will be asked to contribute to the paddling of the canoe as part of the crew. There is certainly no expectation to paddle at an Olympic pace, but you won’t go very far if the guide is the only one paddling!
Our Voyageur Canoe Tours cannot accommodate:
- Visitors under 30 pounds.
- Visitors using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Our adaptive canoe and kayak launch is available for canoe and kayak rentals and those bringing their own canoe or kayak.
- Visitors MUST wear PFDs and comply with boat safety guidelines outlined by your Voyageur Canoe Tour guide.
Tour Rates
| Participant | Cost |
| Adult | $40.00 |
| Senior (65+) | $38.00 |
| Youth (5-17) | $25.00 |
| Child (0-4) | Free! |
Booking Your Voyageur Canoe Tour
We are currently accepting bookings for guided Exhibition Tours for group experiences, requiring a minimum group size of 10 participants.
Coming soon: Drop-in tours for the public!
What’s Included?
- A seat in a 26’ or 36’ Voyageur Canoe with a crew of other visitors and a tour guide from the Museum. Canoe size is determined based on group size. Tours are approximately 90 minutes.
- PFD, each with a whistle
- Paddle
- The Voyageur Canoe will have a bailer kit on board (bailing bucket, rope, reflective disc, flashlight)
What to Expect
Please be advised that Voyageur Canoe Tours run rain or shine. Details about cancellations due to dangerous weather are below.
Seating
The 36’ Montreal Canoe can seat a maximum of 20 guests (pictured below). This includes 4 non-paddling center seats. Canoe size is determined based on group size.
Blue: Canoe Museum Staff
Green: Active Paddling Seat
Yellow: Non-Paddling Seat
The 26’ North Canoe can seat a maximum of 10 guests. All seats are paddling seats. The canoe size is determined based on group size.
It is up to the discretion of the Voyageur Canoe Tour guides to assign people to seats and move them between the seats during the tour.
Arriving
- Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your departure time.
- Check in at the Front Desk in the Museum.
- Before you can participate, you will be asked to sign a waiver for yourself and anyone you are a guardian to at the front desk.
- Proceed to the Canoe House to pick up your gear and meet the rest of your crew!
- Staff are available to help size your PFD and paddle, and assist you into the watercraft if necessary.
- We have both 36’ and 26’ Voyageur Canoe options available. The Voyageur Canoe Tour guide will determine the best canoe to travel depending on the group size.
Returning
- Return to the Museum dock.
- Staff are available to assist you out of the watercraft if necessary.
- Return your gear to the Canoe House and say goodbye to your crew!
Cancellation Policy
Please be advised that Voyageur Canoe Tours run rain or shine. The tour will only be cancelled due to weather if it is deemed by the Voyageur Canoe Tour guide to be unsafe. This includes electrical storms, high winds, or torrential rains. If the tour is cancelled due to weather, the participants have the option of switching their tour date/time or receiving a full refund of all amounts paid.
Full refunds of deposits or other payments are possible for reservations if cancellation requests are made by phone or email 48 hours in advance of scheduled rentals.
Payments can be transferred to new dates, if reservations are rebooked in advance of refund deadlines.
Cancellation requests made earlier than the deadlines are appreciated!
When cancellation requests are made less than 48 hours in advance of scheduled rentals, an administration fee of 50% of the total rental fee will be retained.
Refunds will be made through our online reservation system are applied to the same credit card that was used to secure the original booking. Please note that refunds may take several days to be processed.
Custom Tour
Interested in booking a voyageur paddling experience for your special event, conference, school group, large family, or corporate or community group?
Connect with us for information on custom bookings and pricing, at [email protected].
Custom Tour Cancellation
Part of your custom tour fee is a $75 non-refundable administration fee.
If you need to cancel your custom booking, please cancel with more than two weeks notice. All amounts paid, with the exception of the $75 non-refundable administration fee, will be refunded.
If cancellation is made with less than two weeks notice, no refund will be provided.
