Wooden Canoe Paddles
These wooden canoe paddles, really are custom made canoe paddles, they are built here locally by one of our Native bands.
CHESLATTA NATION PADDLES UP Burns Lake BC – The Cheslatta Nation knew they were in for tough times when the economy tanked last summer. Their sawmill, Cheslatta Forest Products, which they co-own with local residents, temporarily closed down, all logging ceased and they had 10’s of millions of board feet of lumber in their mill yard. People were suddenly out of work and the prospects for a turnaround were far in the future. They were literally “up the creek without a paddle”. So, they started manufacturing canoe paddles! The Chief Louie Paddle Company will debut their unique product this weekend at the Kamloops Pow-Wow in Kamloops, BC. The paddles range in size from a full size 60” down to a miniature 24” and all are constructed from wood salvaged locally including blue pine from the dead stands of Mountain Pine Beetle timber, local aspen, spruce, fir and Waterwood which has been salvaged from the depths of Ootsa Lake. The company is named after the renowned Chief Louie, the last Hereditary Chief of Cheslatta, who died in 1951. “The paddles are of the land and are a very strong symbol of our history. My great, great-grandfather was renowned for his feats of paddling his dugout canoes.” says Chief Corrina Leween, “He would be impressed with the strength and style of these paddles that bear his name.” The Waterwood has special significance to the Cheslatta, as the flooding from Kemano I hydro-electric project caused the sudden and forced eviction from their homelands and villages in 1952. The subsequent social breakdown was a sad and tragic chapter in Cheslatta’s history. The paddle operation was envisioned in January, while Cheslatta was conducting a research and development project studying the best uses for the Waterwood. The project, funded by a grant from Western Diversification’s Community Economic Diversification Program, discovered the exceptional strength of the pine that has been submerged since 1952. Combined with the properties of other local wood, the Cheslatta are convinced they have superior product that can stand out in the competitive world of custom-made canoe paddles. The project has excited this small community of 120 people by creating 10 jobs turning a rough paddle blank into a sleek and smooth finished paddle that bears the name of their ancestor. They have honed their production process to where they can make 30 paddles a day. They also utilize the skills of local craftsmen who are equipped to process strips for the lamination process and bandsawing blanks.
“The whole process is very environmentally sound as it uses short pieces of wood and lumber that would otherwise be discarded and sent to the burner.” Said Chief Leween, “Another positive feature is that much of the blue-stained wood was harvested on traditional lands in the Cheslatta Community Forest.”
CHIEF LOUIE PADDLE COMPANY custom made canoe paddles Profile The Chief Louie Paddle Company (CLPC) was formed in 2009 and is solely owned by the Cheslatta Carrier Nation (CCN). We are located 20 miles south of Burns Lake, BC, and 170 miles west of Prince George. While working under a research and development grant from the Community Economic Diversification Initiative, CCN was studying systems and processes to best utilize the large volumes of timber that lies submerged beneath the waters of the Nechako Reservoir in north-central British Columbia. Among the products that emerged was canoe paddles based on the design used by Chief Louie, the legendary Cheslatta Hereditary Chief renowned for his long canoe excursions. Initial market testing of prototype models confirmed a diverse and vibrant market for unique, hand-crafted paddles that utilized salvaged raw materials. Another positive response we repeatedly received was the fact that it was a First Nation Product, built in and by the local community members. Over the course of 5 months, CCN tinkered with designs and worked to perfect the production and finishing process. By mid-June, manufacturing capabilities reached 30 finished paddles per day. As typical of other Cheslatta businesses, CLPC incorporates the talents of non-CCN members as well. We have sourced premium aspen, pine and birch from local “backyard” sawmills. The stripping and laminating is done by a neighboring Mennonite craftsman and his family. The rough shaping is completed by the another tradesman with the Burns Lake Indian Band and all final shaping, sanding, finishing and marking are done by the Cheslatta people. At full production, 11 people are employed in the process. During the course of the research and development project, we also perfected several other products utilizing the underwater wood and salvage material including distinct, hand-carved “Spirit Feathers” (made from waterwood and reflecting the tragic history of the Cheslatta), hand drum frames and hand carved miniature canoes made from cottonwood back. These goods are easily produced, add diversity the CLPC product line and integrate perfectly into the production process as well as giving opportunity to the marginal component of our workforce. The complete line of Chief Louie Paddle Company products were debuted at the Kamloops Pow Wow July 31 – August 2. The positive reviews of the product were quickly verified by brisk sales of paddles and Spirit Feathers. We were also bolstered by high profile print, audio and visual media coverage from throughout the region and the province. The morning we got back to work, there was an order for 20 paddles waiting! While we are buoyed by our initial success, much work still needs to be complete. Now that we have a consistent, high quality line of products, we require human and financial resources to take CLPC to the next level. It is necessary that we retain a business/marketing consultant for business planning and proposal writing, completing our website/storefront, design and implement a high-profile marketing plan. On the production side, we will continue to streamline the production process utilizing local trades people and millwrights to maximize product quality using the most efficient processes possible including integrating a high-end laser engraver that would allow us to satisfy the massive corporate and government gift market.
We are preparing to showcase our products during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in conjunction with the Aboriginal Pavilion. As well, CLPC has registered for Canada’s largest consumer show for outdoor enthusiasts: The Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, April 24 & 25, 2010.
CHIEF LOUIE PADDLE COMPANY wooden canoe paddles
Product List August 2009 _________________________________________________________________________________________
Paddles Solid Wood: Aspen, Pine/Spruce, Birch and CottonwoodLaminated: Blue Pine, Spruce/Pine, Aspen, Birch, Birch/AspenDesigns: Tradition Recreation, BeavertailSizes: 60” (full length), 48” (Medium), 36” (Presentation) and 24” (Souvenir)In Development: * Aspen Green Sawn/Carved/Boiled full length paddles using traditional methods of boiling a finished paddle. Straight and bent shafts. * Waterwood, carved and boiled * Cottonwood, dry-piled and carved * Spoon Design
“Spirit Feathers” Beautiful, hand carved, solid wood feathers made from the underwater wood Sizes: 12”, 10”, 8” and 6”Designs: solid side and split side Drum Frames 12 sided, clear pine, waterwood Sizes: 12”, 18” and 24” Cottonwood Bark Canoes A traditional Carrier Indian toy, exquisitely hand-carved by Master Carver Pat Edmund. Each perfectly proportioned, with tiny carved aspen paddles and struts.
Sizes: 11”, 8”, 5” and 3 ½”
World wide collector marketCorporate Gifts Special Event, Commemorative,Government Gifts Special Events, Tourism Boards, Local and Regional Governments,Certification by the organizationCustom Paddles for high-end resorts, lodges, white-water rafting companies, outdoor/reality television shows, movie sets, camping destinations, adventure tour operators, guide-outfitters, expeditions, green living product companies,Dragon Boat Sponsors
To return to my country life from wooden canoe paddles
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