Peterborough’s Canadian Canoe Museum has made National Geographic’s list of top cultural hot spots in the world.
The museum was selected as one of 20 destinations that the National Geographic team agreed were “worth building a trip around”.
We spoke with Algonquin Canoe builder Chuck Commanda who sits on the national council of the Museum about his relationship to The Canoe Museum and some of what makes it so special:
“My grandparents were friends of the original founder, Kurt Whipper, and I guess Kirk had commissioned them to make a canoe” explained Commanda, “I didn’t realize they had four canoes there.” Commanda continued: “Canadian Canoe Museum, it’s like a walk through history, starting with the First Nations canoe. It holds a high degree of significance”
According to the Museum, they have over 600 watercraft-the world’s largest collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft. They say that “Their stories have a pivotal role to play in understanding our past – and our collective future”
The Canoe Museum is currently closed as it gets ready to open in its new Peterborough location on Little Lake this May.
Some of the other hotspots that made the National Geographic list were Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada as well as museums in China, India and Mongolia.
For more of Nat Geo’s WORTH A TRIP – BEST CULTURAL SPOTS, as featured in their BEST OF THE WORLD 2024 guide, visit NatGeo.com/bestculture.