Peterborough Blogs
Canadian Canoe Museum Granted Viceregal Patronage By Governor General Of Canada
/The Canadian Canoe Museum (CCM) announce that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, has granted Viceregal Patronage to the Museum.
The granting of viceregal patronage is a longstanding tradition, with governors general granting support through patronage to recognize exceptional contributions to Canadian society. Her Excellency was sworn in on July 26, 2021, as Canada's first Indigenous Governor General and has focused her efforts on reconciliation.
The Canadian Canoe Museum, located on the Traditional Territory of the Williams Treaties First Nations in Peterborough, Ontario, stewards the world's largest collection of canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft. The CCM is currently building the collection, declared a cultural asset of national significance by the Senate, a new home on the waterfront of Little Lake in Peterborough.
As part of the exhibit design and development process, the Museum has invited Indigenous peoples to share their stories in their own voices. The CCM is reconnecting the watercraft to their Indigenous communities of origin, and has developed a collaborative relations process to work together to care for the canoes and share the cultural histories and stories held within the collection.
"We believe that as sites of cultural and historical preservation, museums play a key role in shaping our understanding of our past and collective future," said executive director Carolyn Hyslop. "Indigenous peoples around the world designed, built, and used the first canoes and kayaks. These vessels retain their enduring connection to Indigenous cultures across Canada and are powerful living embodiments of knowledges, languages, and beliefs. Through the collaborative relations process, we are working with communities to share these stories, perspectives, languages, and voices throughout the new exhibits and museum."
An example of this commitment, exterior and interior signage in the new museum will be trilingual, featuring English, Michi Saagiig Anishnaabemowin (the local Anishnaabemowin dialect), and French. Additional Indigenous languages will also be featured in exhibits relating to specific watercraft.
The CCM has also commissioned new canoe and kayak builds from Inuit and First Nations communities and builders. These commissions will fill gaps in the Museum’s collection, allowing for a greater diversity of stories to be shared, and traditional knowledge to be preserved and passed down to younger generations.
The new museum, expected to open summer of 2023, will feature an accessible Collection Hall displaying 100 percent of the Museum's collection; a 20,000 square-foot Exhibition Hall with brand-new exhibits; a Lakefront Events and Education Centre; an Artisan and Canoe-building Studio to facilitate hands-on learning and DIY workshops; a Library and Research Room that will allow for the recording of oral stories; a Lakefront Canoe House and dock for on-water and outdoor education programming and more.
Canadian Canoe Museum Completes Purchase of Johnson Property and Signs Construction Contract
/The Canadian Canoe Museum (CCM) has completed the purchase of the Johnson Property from the City of Peterborough announced on Wednesday.
The Johnson Property, located at at 2077 Ashburnham Dr., is the site where the CMM will build its new world-class museum slated for completion in 2023.
City Council approved the direction to proceed with the sale of the land in January this year. The sale was subject to a number of conditions including rezoning, project validation and confirmation of site appropriateness, all of which have been met to the satisfaction of both CCM and the city.
CCM paid $1.575 million for the five acres of land.
“I am pleased to see the completion of this transaction for the property that will be the future home of The Canadian Canoe Museum. I am very much looking forward to the building of this exciting project in Peterborough’s Ashburnham Ward,” said Councillor Gary Baldwin, City Council’s representative on The Canadian Canoe Museum Board.
CCM intends to sell its current property at 910 Monaghan Rd. to help fund the project in addition to a fundraising campaign that has raised just over 82 per cent of the $40 million needed to complete the overall project.
“Canadian Canoe Museum is thrilled to have completed these critical milestones so that we may commence with construction as planned in October,” said Carolyn Hyslop, CCM, executive director. “Our project team is working at lightning speed to stay on schedule so that we may be ready to open the new museum in 2023.”
Having completed project validation, CCM is now moving into a contract for continued design and construction of the new facility. The Museum marked the occasion by signing a CCDC30 Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) contract on Monday with Chandos Construction Ltd. and Lett Architects Inc., valued at $27,363,383.00.
This agreement allows for the commencement of design services and construction work associated with the building of the new museum on the Johnson Property.
Project partners include:
Architect: Lett Architects Inc., Peterborough, ON
General Contractor: Chandos Construction Ltd, Toronto, ON
Structural Engineering: LEA, Markham, ON
Mechanical Trade Partner: Kelson Mechanical, Sharon, ON
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering: DG Biddle & Associates, Oshawa, ON
Electrical trade partner: Lancer Electric, Peterborough, ON
Civil Engineer: Engage Engineering, Peterborough, ON
The new museum will enable CCM to house 100 per cent of its collection in a building that meets Class A conservation standards, directly on the water, which allows for increased on-water and in-person programming.
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A Painted Paddle Installation Is Launching In Downtown Peterborough
/The Downtown Vibrancy Project will be launching a new outdoor public art exhibit to celebrate community connection during lockdown with its February 1st Painted Paddle debut—a series of paddle art installations in Peterborough’s central entertainment and shopping district.
During the month of February, locals will be able to safely tour the Painted Paddle art exhibit by visiting a number of storefront windows scattered throughout the downtown, as part of a new art crawl experience.
Places providing window space for the art installation include: Peterborough & the Kawartha Tourism’s Visitor Centre, Le Petit Bar, St Veronus, The Boardwalk Game Lounge, Sam's Deli, Black Honey Bakery, Cork and Bean, B!KE, Watson and Lou, Cottage Toys, By The Bridge, GreenUp Store, Night Kitchen, DBIA Office, Meta4 Gallery, Avant Garden, Sustain, Bluestreak Records, and Peterborough Social Services.
Each paddle will be as unique as the artist, generating a distinctive visual story of our community’s history, and its connection to the common paddle.
Notable featured paddle artists and organizations contributing art for the Painted Paddle include: Mayor Therrien, Hiawatha First Nation, Wiigwaas Hiawatha Store, Peterborough Police Service, DBIA, GreenUP, Trent Gzowski College, Trent Veg Garden, Peterborough Pollinators, Princess Gardens Retirement Residence, Empress Gardens Retirement Residence, St Anne's School, VegFest, B!KE, City Councillors Zippel and Akapo, Art School mother and daughter team, Eileen and Kendron, local Anishinaabe artist Kyler, and local artist Tiphaine Lenaik.
The Painted Paddle exhibit will be on display until March 5th. Exhibition paddles will be available for auction from Febrary 19th at 8 pm to March 4th at 8 pm ahead of the First Friday event on March 5th, with proceeds going towards the One City Employment Program. For the virtual auction, click here.
To participate in a self-guided tour of the Painted Paddle, community members can access a full map of paddle exhibit locations here.
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Canadian Canoe Museum Confirms Viability Of Johnson Park On Shores Of Little Lake For New Museum Build
/The Canadian Canoe Museum has announced that Johnson Park, the City-owned property situated on Little Lake—north of Beavermead Park and south of the Parks Canada-Trent Severn Waterway head offices—has been deemed viable for the building of its new canoe museum.
This confirmation clears the way for moving to the next phase of feasibility activities and determining next steps with the City of Peterborough.
“We are thrilled that recently concluded due diligence explorations, environmental assessments, testing and feasibility studies have substantiated the Johnson Park location as a viable site for the building of the new world-class canoe museum,” says Carolyn Hyslop, executive director, The Canadian Canoe Museum.
“The museum will now enter the next phase of feasibility and validation activities,” adds Hyslop. “This process will help us fine tune budget and overall costs, design and the project schedule with a view to being shovel-ready by the end of 2021.”
Leading with environmental stewardship in mind, the new museum will be built on a flat portion of the property, away from the floodplain, on the open land along Ashburnham Drive. This will preserve the existing trail, shoreline and natural waterfront.
To assist CCM with the realization of a new creative vision suitable to a fresh waterfront site, the new museum will be designed by local, award-winning Lett Architects Inc. With experience in completing cultural projects for nationally recognized institutions, Lett will bring a strong collaborative and engaging approach to the project.
“In a year that has brought every manner of exceptional challenges to us all, we are delighted to close out 2020 with positive and hopeful news,” adds Hsylop. “Having found a viable site for this extraordinary project that will see the new museum situated on the shores of Peterborough’s Little Lake—what a terrific kick off to 2021!”
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The Canadian Canoe Museum Is Reopening July 25th
/The Canadian Canoe Museum has announced it is reopening its galleries to the public starting this Saturday, July 25th. Work has been underway to implement new safety protocols while ensuring the museum’s engaging, welcoming, and inspiring atmosphere remains.
“When visitors walk through our doors, they will still be greeted by our stunning array of canoes and kayaks, the rushing waterfall, and sounds of nature—just as they have always been, although they will notice the new protocols we have put in place to help keep our community safe,” says Carolyn Hyslop, Executive Director.
NEW PROTOCOLS AT THE MUSEUM INCLUDE:
Requiring all visitors, volunteers, and staff to wear a face mask or covering in the museum’s galleries and store.
Requiring hand sanitization upon entrance to the museum and promoting sanitization throughout your visit with newly installed hand sanitization stations.
Limiting visitor capacity and staggering entrances to the galleries to promote physical distancing.
Implementing a defined route through the museum’s galleries with reminders to keep your distance from other visitors.
Encouraging contactless forms of payment at the admissions desk and store. Cash will not be accepted.
An enhanced and increased cleaning schedule.
Changes have also been made to the museum's hours of operation. The museum will be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until further notice.