Description

PETERBOROUGH CANOE (GREEN)

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY, HIGH QUALITY MODEL

Dimension Approx.: 31.5″ (long) x 7″ (wide) x 5″ (high)
The model is already built, NOT a model ship kit

The Peterborough Canoe Company, founded in 1892 in Peterborough, Ontario, quickly became one of the most influential names in Canadian canoe building. Born from the ashes of the Ontario Canoe Company’s devastating fire, Peterborough gathered many of the region’s most skilled builders under one roof. Their workshop soon became a center of innovation, producing canoes that blended traditional craftsmanship with emerging manufacturing techniques.

Peterborough’s boats were admired for their elegant lines and meticulous construction. The company mastered several methods — from wide‑board and cedar‑strip hulls to the distinctive cedar‑rib canoes that became a signature of the brand. Most were finished with canvas, a practical and durable skin that allowed the boats to remain lightweight while standing up to hard use on northern lakes and rivers. By the early 20th century, Peterborough canoes were being shipped across Canada, the United States, and even to Europe, where they helped define the image of the classic Canadian canoe.

Growth brought consolidation. Peterborough acquired the William English Canoe Company in 1915 and later joined forces with the Chestnut Canoe Company in 1923 to form Canadian Watercraft Ltd., creating a powerhouse of wooden‑boat production. Yet after World War II, the rise of aluminum and fiberglass canoes — cheaper and easier to mass‑produce — slowly eroded the market for handcrafted wooden craft. Peterborough Canoe Company ultimately closed its doors in 1961.

Today, Peterborough canoes are treasured as artifacts of a golden era of boatbuilding. Their legacy lives on in the Canadian Canoe Museum, in the city’s annual National Canoe Day celebrations, and in the hands of collectors who prize these boats for their beauty, history, and the craftsmanship they represent. More than just watercraft, Peterborough canoes embody a uniquely Canadian tradition — one built from cedar, canvas, and more than a century of skill.