The Canadian Canoe Museum (CCM) is building an extraordinary new home for our one-of-a-kind collection and unique programming on the water’s edge in Peterborough, Ontario. A purpose-built facility on the water, with an array of indoor and outdoor spaces, will allow us to deliver on our mission in ways that, right now, it can only imagine. This is a project of national scope and significance, but it’s all happening right here – in our hometown. Helping bring this bold vision to life requires the help of professionals who not only excel in their trade but also believe in this community, their community.
Throughout this process, the Museum and project team have committed to local procurement, spending a minimum of 45% of the $40 million capital costs in the Peterborough region. Our goal for the build is to have a significant positive economic impact on the community of Peterborough and surrounding regions by enhancing tourism recovery, creating jobs, and increased tourism spending in the area. By hiring primarily local expertise, we not only get project partners who are passionate about their field of work and who believe in this city but partners who also understand the value and impact of this project and the significance of The Canadian Canoe Museum to this country.
The Museum’s architectural firm understands this intuitively. “Lett Architects are driven by our values which are grounded in the community we live and work. Having completed cultural projects across the province, we know the significant impact that The Canadian Canoe Museum will bring to our local community. Culture plays a vital role in attracting people, business, and investment, and the Museum will distinguish Peterborough as a dynamic and exciting place to live and work,” says Bill Lett, Managing Partner at Lett Architects.
Todd Lawson, President of Havelock Metal Co., has worked on many large projects across the country, and he understands the impact that this project will have on the area. “We’ve participated in many significant community projects across Canada,” says Lawson. “To now be involved with another incredibly impactful project in our own backyard is very meaningful for Havelock Metal Co. We are very proud to be working with The Canadian Canoe Museum to create a facility that will not only be so beneficial for our local community but will also be recognized across Canada”.
The new museum will be a tourist attraction like no other, with a premier destination at the water’s edge. Those who visit from out of town are expected to spend $5.6 million annually in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. When planning a new build like this, immense thought and effort go into every decision. Every detail must be planned from the commencing of construction to when the doors open to the public.
Relying on the professional guidance of people like Andrew Smit, Consulting Arborist at Treescape Certified Arborists, has allowed us to move forward with this project confidently, knowing that we’re not only getting an expert opinion but a local one as well. The veteran Arborist, who graduated with honours from the Arboriculture program at Sir Sandford Fleming, has been very involved in this project and says, “preparing the Tree Inventory and Preservation Plan for The Canadian Canoe Museum project has been a challenging and very rewarding experience in my professional career. The Museum staff and project design team are passionate about trees and have been very receptive to the tree preservation measures we have recommended. I am excited to see the end result”.
As you can likely imagine, building a world-class museum and moving the world’s largest collection of canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft is no small feat. It involves a lot of coordination and consultation with skilled professionals who can offer intrinsic expertise about the local circumstances.
Businesses like Basterfield & Associates Inc., Landscape Architects, who have been embedded in this city for 35 years, have given unique historical input to this project while also keeping today’s environmental needs in mind. Helen Batten, Principal Landscape Architect at Basterfield’s, explains, “articulating any history of national significance is an exhilarating design opportunity. For us as landscape architects, this project draws on our core responsibilities: stewardship of the land and memorable place-making that balances peoples’ needs with environmental best practices. To showcase this collection, for all the world to see and experience, is a profound honour. We are delighted to be involved”.
The Canadian Canoe Museum has built and continues to build a strong integrated team of professionals and experts that are bringing our dream of a waterfront home for this Museum to fruition. We continue to be astonished by the level of dedication and commitment to this project by all of the trades, suppliers, designers and experts working with us. These passionate professionals believe in our community because they are our community, and we are so fortunate to have them as partners on this journey.
We are on our final portage to the water’s edge, and with the opening anticipated for the summer of 2023, we hope that everyone in our community will find a way to get involved and support this transformational project!
Proudly presenting the local trades, suppliers, and consultants who are building the new museum:
4 Directions of Conservation (Curve Lake)
Basterfield & Associates (Peterborough)
Beeline Design & Communications (Peterborough)
Brant Basics (Peterborough)
Cambium Environmental (Peterborough)
Cardinal Industrial Solutions (Whitby)
CBM Concrete (Peterborough)
City of Peterborough (Peterborough)
City Welding (Peterborough)
DG Biddle & Associates (Oshawa)
Drain Bros Ltd (Peterborough)
Engage Engineering (Peterborough)
Havelock Metal Products (Peterborough)
Impact Communications (Peterborough)
JP Rowland (Peterborough)
Lancer Electric (Peterborough)
Lett Architects Inc. (Peterborough)
LLF Lawyers (Peterborough)
Northeastern Archaeological (Port Hope)
Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (Peterborough)
R&J Machine (Lakefield)
Thomas Grace & Associates (Lindsay)
Treescape Certified Arborists (Ennismore)
Trent Severn Waterway (Peterborough)
… and MORE to come!
Leadership donors from across the country continue to demonstrate their support for the project. We are grateful to them and thank the Weston Family Foundation, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Peterborough, and the County of Peterborough.