National Canoe Day- June 26
Have you ever heard of National Canoe Day? Well, it is a real holiday that is celebrated all over the world.
A radio station in Canada conducted a national poll and the canoe was voted one of the seven wonders of Canada. So, The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario decided to host a huge event on June 26th. Everyone was invited, they had music, food and everyone could ride canoes through the historic Peterborough Lift Lock. People had such a great time that the Mayor of Peterborough declared June 26th National Canoe Day. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you go on that day, just do it in a canoe!
The first canoe was called the Pesse canoe. It was constructed sometime between 8200-7600 BC and found in the Netherlands. The canoe was made from a pine tree that was dug out by hand using flint and stone tools. This canoe is still on exhibit today in the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands.
Canoes were originally used for transportation, fur trading, and catching food. A canoe is a narrow vessel, usually pointed at both ends and open on top. The hull design of a canoe differs depending on its use. Through the years, canoes have been made from tree trunks, birch bark, and synthetic materials such as fiberglass and aluminum.
Do you know the difference between a canoe and kayak? Most people think that they are pretty much the same thing, but they are not. In a canoe, the person either kneels on the bottom of the boat or sits on a raised seat/bench, the sides are higher, they have open tops, and the canoe paddle has a blade on one end. Kayaks seats are at the bottom of the Kayak, the tops are closed in and the are blades on both ends of the paddle.
Make sure to check your local community calendar, on June 26, 2019, to see where all the awesome canoe activities are taking place!
Celebrating National Canoe Day is easy, just get in your canoe and paddle! You will feel the freedom and love the adventure. Enjoy the scenery, relax, and let the water take you away.
