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.
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.
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.