If timing is truly everything, there is no better time than now to honour Kirk Wipper.
Back in May, when the new Peterborough home of the Canadian Canoe Museum was officially opened, it’s a certainty that Wipper was in the thoughts of many, and for very good reason. Without his generosity, his love of watercraft and his foresight, the museum wouldn’t have opened at its original Peterborough location back in 1997.
It was back in the late 1950s that Wipper started his extraordinary collection of canoes, a process kick-started by the gift of a rare circa 1890 basswood dugout destined to become the centerpiece of the museum. Wipper subsequently traveled the country in search of canoes to secure, housing each in a building at Camp Kandalore that later became home to the Kanawa International Museum of Canoes, Kayaks and Rowing Craft.
The world’s largest collection of watercraft grew to contain more 500 canoes and related artifacts, prompting the suggestion that Peterborough would be an ideal location for a permanent museum to both store, and display them. With numerous volunteers on board, the concept of developing a knowledge centre about the canoe was floated and adopted, leading to the opening of the Canadian Canoe Museum at the Monaghan Road location of the former Outboard Marine.
Besides providing the inspiration and the springboard for what has become the internationally-recognized home of all things canoe, Wipper was also instrumental in ensuring the immense contributions of Indigenous Peoples to Canada’s growth and development, have been kept front of mind.
A volunteer with several canoe, paddling, camping and water safety organizations, Wipper served 45 years with the Royal Lifesaving Society of Canada and was a national director of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. The Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association, which later became Paddle Canada, enjoyed the benefit of Wipper serving as the inaugural chair of its History and Archives Committee.
In 2002, Wipper was fittingly appointed a member of the Order of Canada. When he passed 12 years later, tributes to both him and his life work poured forth. Among those taking the time to honour him was James Raffan, the executive director of the Canadian Canoe Museum at the time.
“If you look at the tributes to Kirk that are pouring in, you will see that he indeed changed the world for the better,” wrote Raffan.
“This is surely the end of an era. Kirk will be missed – but his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of the members, volunteers, staff and friends of the museum (entrusted with) stewardship of these 600 canoes and kayaks – this unique portrait of Canada he created.”
Kirk Wipper made his final portage from this life in 2011.