Hodgins Bear n' Canoe Co.

I’ve always been a maker. You can dream all you want but if you never do something about your dreams that’s all they’ll ever be. I got this from my dad who was a stubborn self-teacher if ever there was one. Whether it was a sea-flea hydroplane or a summer home, he managed to teach himself how to design and build with remarkable skill. Another influence was the great Omer Stringer, whom I watched build one of his renowned Beaver canoes. I remember saying to myself not just “I can do that,” but “I will do that”. For some time now, working from raw logs, I hand-build what is widely regarded as one of the best cedar strip-and-canvas canoes on the market. Light, strong, and incredibly stable. But you can’t always predict where the doing of one thing is going to lead. Right now I’ve added something a little more whimsical to my repertoire: bears. Bears by the bunch. They’re chainsaw carved from single cedar logs. Prices start at $175 for the smallest ones.