Our Lady of the Bay Catholic High School students recently completed a project to help connect them with the stories of Indigenous culture.
On Sept. 20, Our Lady of the Bay (OLB) students launched a birch bark canoe built by the students into the Collingwood Harbour – named Giiwindaminawin Jiiman in Ojibwe which translates to, we are all connected, everything in creation, through the canoe.
OLB science teacher John Michalenko oversaw the project, hosting Algonquin Elder Chuck Commanda at the school for the two-week build.
“It’s such a unique skill,” said Michalenko. “It was so good for the kids.”
The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board has supported three other similar builds in the past, at St. Theresa’s Catholic High School in Midland, St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Barrie and Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School in Orillia.
“My dad is a Metis citizen so that made me want to do it,” said Michalenko. “I also thought it fit well with our school, being named Our Lady of the Bay.”
Funding for the project came through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, intended to introduce students to the skilled trades.
The materials for the project were locally sourced, with the birch bark coming from Kolapore with approval from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. The lashing is made out of Spruce, and the sealant is made out of Pine sap.
While many students would spend a period here and there contributing to the project over two weeks, Grade 10 student Cole Bennett took a shine to the process and participated daily along the way.
“I helped with the lashing on the side of the canoe, or the gum. We water-tested the canoe,” he said.
Bennett had the privilege of being the first person to launch the canoe with Commanda.
“It was fun and exciting. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Bennett.
Grade 11 student Teagan Everitt started helping with the project due to curiosity about both the trades and Indigenous culture. As part of the building process, Commanda would regularly take breaks to tell stories to the students passed down through generations.
“When they go down rapids, if their canoe was OK, they would leave it there a build themselves a new canoe and leave their old canoe there in case any others came by and their canoe didn’t make it,” explained Everitt.
“It was a great experience. I think everyone should learn how to build a canoe. It was a lot of fun,” she said.
With September 30 marking the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Michaelenko said one of the calls to action out of the Truth and Reconciliation committee included that education is the key to reconciliation.
“We have to help our young people understand what happened so it never happens again,” said Michalenko.
Moving forward, the canoe will be on display at OLB, and students and faculty will take it down to the waterfront once yearly in June to launch it and check for needed leaks and repairs.
