On July 11th, in the midst of these COVID times, Shelagh Grant, a long-time supporter who was part of the original team involved in the founding of the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, died of esophageal cancer. She was 82 years old.

As a historian and adjunct professor of Canadian Studies at Trent University in the 1980s, Shelagh was the secretary of an Advisory Committee struck by then-President Donald F. Theall, along with Chair, Bruce Hodgins, and other Trent stalwarts, to explore the possibility of establishing the Canadian Canoe Museum on the Trent University campus. Ultimately, and after starts in Haliburton and Port Hope, among other locations for building a new home for Kirk Wipper’s Kanawa canoe collection, the museum was created on the site of the old Outboard Marine Corporation office and factory at 910 Monaghan Road in Peterborough.

Throughout that time, Shelagh’s work as an award-winning author and historian reflected well on the museum and her support of the project individually, and with her husband, Jon, and family was always there. The museum has lost a great friend in Shelagh Grant’s passing. A celebration of Shelagh’s life will be happening at a later date; meanwhile, a full obituary, as published in the Peterborough Examiner, is available online.

Photo Credit: Writer’s Trust of Canada

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