Huron Wendat Canoe

Created by: Jonathan Killing and Mike Bilyk – Lafontaine Ironwerks

During the time of Champlain’s arrival in this area, a prevalent means of transportation was the birch-bark canoe. These vessels were elegantly suited to their task, easy to repair, and could be adapted to a variety of needs. This led Champlain and other European explorers to adopt the canoe for their own travel. Design of the canoes varied greatly depending on the local materials, purpose of the boat, and skill of the builders. Due to their organic components, no physical examples have survived from that time so exact shapes are not known. However, based on sketches and descriptions, this sculpture shows a typical Wendat craft at twice life-size.