Middle schoolers gift handcrafted canoe to Hammarskjold High

After 250 hours of work, eight graders at Algonquin Public School are donating their handcrafted canoe to Hammarskjold High School.

The students worked on the project throughout the last year. Their canoe is 100% fastened with traditional bindings, using no nails or screws.

Hammarskjold will display the canoe in their front foyer with a plaque commemorating the work done by the eighth grade class in both English and Ojibwe. The two schools met at Hammarskjold on Tuesday to celebrate the donation.

“I’m from a native background, and it was an experience to be able to learn what my family used to do back in their old days,” said student Zachary Boulanger. “Instead of just walking, we had canoes (…) it represents native culture.”

While it likely won’t ever hit the water, the canoe is watertight and fully functional.

“The roots we picked were strong enough to bend the wood when it was warped and wet,” Boulanger said. “You can bend the wood with the sinew and it keeps the shape.”

This is a yearly tradition for eighth graders at Algonquin. Previous canoes were donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum, Lakehead University and Manitou Mounds.

“It was an important thing to do as a class,” said student Lucas Rogozinski. “So many people worked together on this.”

Algonquin Principal Darren Lentz says the project teaches how to harvest and build ethically with teachings from First Nations communities.

“(The students) are learning from our community here, and saying miigwech and thank you for that knowledge,” Lentz said. “As they move forward, they’re capable of doing anything they want. And this canoe is a testament to that.”