Member Profile: Introducing the Chapter webmaster
Welcome everyone to your new Northern Lakes Chapter website!
My name is Murat Vardar and currently reside in the East York borough of Toronto. I'm the webmaster for the site and will be your primary contact person if there are submissions or content for publishing. Some of you might know me for my obsession / passion / addiction to canoe paddles through another blog site, paddlemaking.blogspot.com.
I've been a WCHA members since 2008. That was a significant time for me as my first child was born in the fall of that year. Eager to get all my canoeing projects squeezed in before the prospect of fatherhood, I ended up building a 14 foot cedar-canvas as part of Pam Wedd's building courses at Bearwood Canoes.
Also spent most of that spring and summer season simultaneously building a 13 foot birchbark canoe. Learned so much during the process. It was used gently for a few seasons and now graces the interior of our cottage. This means more storage in the garage for canoes!
Ended up obtaining a 1970s, 15 foot Langford Trapper canoe as part of trade while getting rid of plastic boat. Though not the best build quality, it is a stable and sturdy craft and is the main user boat for tripping and poling.
A few years ago, I acquired a 14' Chestnut Playmate (circa 1958-1961) in great condition. It only needed some superficial woodwork repairs but the original 60 year old canvas needed replacement. This was done in the spring of 2019 by improvising a setup in the backyard. The methods were gleaned from the helpful WCHA community, especially at the canvassing demo at the 2018 Assembly in Peterborough. Thanks to the additional assistance of local chapter members willing to share their techniques and tips, the boat was canvassed without a hitch. Getting assistance like this is one of the great benefits of being a member of the WCHA.
Our cottage property is in the east end Huntsville on the road to Algonquin Park. I routinely spend time paddling in the Muskoka, Haliburton and sometimes the Temagami regions as well as in the Toronto area. It would be great to connect with fellow wooden canoe nuts in these areas.
If you'd like to be featured in our next Member Profile post, wish to share favourite paddling spots or have other information to contribute, feel free to get in touch by email.
My name is Murat Vardar and currently reside in the East York borough of Toronto. I'm the webmaster for the site and will be your primary contact person if there are submissions or content for publishing. Some of you might know me for my obsession / passion / addiction to canoe paddles through another blog site, paddlemaking.blogspot.com.
I've been a WCHA members since 2008. That was a significant time for me as my first child was born in the fall of that year. Eager to get all my canoeing projects squeezed in before the prospect of fatherhood, I ended up building a 14 foot cedar-canvas as part of Pam Wedd's building courses at Bearwood Canoes.
14' Bearwood Canoe and accompanying paddle
Also spent most of that spring and summer season simultaneously building a 13 foot birchbark canoe. Learned so much during the process. It was used gently for a few seasons and now graces the interior of our cottage. This means more storage in the garage for canoes!
Floating in the birchbark
A few years ago, I acquired a 14' Chestnut Playmate (circa 1958-1961) in great condition. It only needed some superficial woodwork repairs but the original 60 year old canvas needed replacement. This was done in the spring of 2019 by improvising a setup in the backyard. The methods were gleaned from the helpful WCHA community, especially at the canvassing demo at the 2018 Assembly in Peterborough. Thanks to the additional assistance of local chapter members willing to share their techniques and tips, the boat was canvassed without a hitch. Getting assistance like this is one of the great benefits of being a member of the WCHA.
New skin on a 14' pleasure canoe
Our cottage property is in the east end Huntsville on the road to Algonquin Park. I routinely spend time paddling in the Muskoka, Haliburton and sometimes the Temagami regions as well as in the Toronto area. It would be great to connect with fellow wooden canoe nuts in these areas.
If you'd like to be featured in our next Member Profile post, wish to share favourite paddling spots or have other information to contribute, feel free to get in touch by email.
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