The mayor of Atikokan is asking the city’s help to bring the Ontario centennial canoe to his home community.
Atikokan mayor Dennis Brown made the plea for help at Monday night’s council meeting. The mayor wants to place the canoe used in the 1967 cross-country Centennial Canoe Race on display in honour of the five Atikokan racers that were on the Ontario team.
The Neebing Voyageur Brigade eventually took ownership of the canoe. The group saved the piece of history also known as the McGillivray Canoe as it was located on top of the Chamber of Commerce building and exposed to the elements.
The canoe now resides at Fort William Historical Park and is occasionally used during reenactments.
Brown, who has been pushing for this project for some time, said they want the opportunity to create a monument and are willing to cover the cost and work involved in the project and added he wants to make Atikokan the canoeing capital of Canada.
“We just think it needs to be respected and displayed,” he said. “Something as iconic as the centennial canoe shouldn’t be left under a tarp on a trailer. Surely that’s something we need to be proud of in Ontario. We need to display our history.”
Donna Zachariah, who presented with Brown, said that canoe is the only one that can commemorate Canada’s centennial race.
Zachariah pointed out that the province gave the city the canoe as a gift.
Bob Slusar, a member of the Neebing Voyageur Brigade, said Brown has been after the canoe for more than 25 years.
“I think he’s going to have a tough time getting it,” he said. “But if we decide on a replacement canoe we may consider it. As far as McGillivray goes, Old Fort claims McGillivray, canoes McGillivray and that’s our history here in Thunder Bay. I will talk to them and see if they will do a swap with the canoe but I kind of doubt it.”
City clerk John Hannam explained in 1996 the council at the time passed a motion to allow the Neebing brigade to take ownership of the canoe. If the group ever disbanded then the canoe would revert to the city.
But Hannam said council has no ability to compel the group to give the canoe to anyone.
