Paddles Across Canada

Students from John G. Stewart School, Transcona Collegiate, and Bernie Wolfe School came together recently to take part in an initiative called Paddles Across Canada. It provided them with an opportunity to learn how to make a hand-carved paddle that they would then get take home to keep.

The students did their carving under the guidance of Mark Blieske of Sunset Paddles. A range of designs from First Nations communities across Canada were explored, followed by the students using hand tools to carve their own Algonquin-style paddles. 

The workshops are held in recognition of Canada’s long history with canoeing—canoe routes linked our communities together long before roads and railroads took shape.