Member Profiles: Maury & Meg Breslow

Maury Breslow:  Maury was born raised, and educated in the US.  He came to Canada in 1973 to teach in Queen's University's Drama Department, after many years as a professional stage director and playwright in the US.  He retired from Queen's in 2000.  He and his wife Meg started canoeing and canoe-camping in the early 1990's, with their young son and daughter.  Their first canoe was a triple-keeled fibreglass, but while on a canoe trip they saw their first wood-canvas canoe, and it was love at first sight.  So, in 1993 and '94 they acquired two old beaten-up wood-canvas canoes, one a Chestnut, the other a Peterborough, hoping to give them new life.  Knowing nothing about canoe restoration, they enrolled in Rollin Thurlow's workshop at the Wooden Boat School in Maine.  There they restored the two canoes, learned a great deal along the way, and still paddle them proudly on the Rideau Canal near their home, on other lakes and rivers in Canada, and each year at Assembly.  In 1994, they joined the WCHA.  Maury served as chapter head of the Northern Lakes/Canada Chapter earlier in the 2000s.

Meg Breslow:  Born in Toronto, raised in Brantford, now living with husband Maury just north of Kingston, Ontario, Meg's formal education was in music (voice).  For years she taught voice/singing, and also was a frequent soloist with various Kingston musical ensembles.  Now semi-retired, her main avocation is gardening, but she and Maury still find time to get out in their two wood-canvas canoes, a Chestnut and a Peterborough, which they restored in successive years ('93 and '94) at the Wooden Boat School in Maine, under the expert guidance of Rollin Thurlow.  She and Maury joined the WCHA in 1994.  At Assembly, she has been able to use her woodworking skills to carve paddles for Maury, their daughter Miriam, and herself. Also, at Assembly, she has for the past few years been co-leader of the Ladies' Tea. 

Restoration of a Peterborough Cedar Canvas (photos from 1994)

A "before " picture: At home, Meg washing out the inside, after it was stripped of old varnish.

Maury sanding one of the 56 scarf joints

Meg working on one of the 56 scarf joints

Maury and Rollin Thurlow, lining up the two peaks.

Maury and Meg nailing new planking. Maury wields the hammer, Meg holds the clinching iron.

Meg making a paddle.

Maury and Meg with the completed Peterborough

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