Written By Mary Simpson & Ron McRae
When Ron McRae first began researching how to build a cedar strip canoe, it was during the COVID outbreak and at the urging of his son, Steven. Ron had recently retired and he and his wife, Linda, had purchased two plastic kayaks. They enjoyed getting out on the water, but Ron found the seating position painful on his lower back. So, he began researching canoes.
“I found Bear Mountain Boats in Peterborough,” Ron recalls. “They sell cedar-strip canoe kits and have all these resources for amateur builders. I contacted them, hoping to register for a workshop with Ted Moores, the founder of the company and the man who wrote Canoecraft, the definitive how-to book for canoe builders. But his wife told me Ted was now in his seventies and had given up his in-person courses. She then said something that stuck with me: ‘Why don’t you buy the book, read it, and call me back if you still think you can do it?’” So, he did. And he could. And he did.
Ron ordered his first kit, which came with all the essential parts: carefully milled cedar strips in a range of colours from dark brown to nearly white, ash gunnels, deck pieces and seats and hardware. The key to a sound, straight tracking hull is the molds which shape it. Ron decided to purchase laser cut molds which were perfect, rather than risk cutting them by hand with a jigsaw. He chose a design that balanced form and function= something stable, not too long and suitable for beginners.
“I picked the Freedom 15 design,” he says. “It’s easy to paddle, good for two people or as a solo. I thought it would be a relatively easy build and perfect for novice paddlers like Linda and me.”
“I built that first canoe in about six months and really enjoyed the process. Linda and I have been exploring Southern Ontario paddling opportunities in it for the past three years and we seldom go out on the water without a comment on the beauty of our cedar strip canoe.”
Honouring Legacy
“After a time, I longed to try a second build, but I needed a good reason to start. Our parents, Murray and Dorothy McRae, were the best examples of hard work, perseverance, quiet intelligence and love that anyone could ask for. I decided to build my next canoe as a 4-H fundraiser and dedicate the money raised to their memory.” In talking with his sister, a retired professor at Western University, Ron decided it was best to find an existing program to direct the funds to, rather than go through the difficult task of setting up a brand-new fund.
Ron McRae is the grandson of J. Stanley Knapp (1892-1967), the pioneering agricultural educator who started Ontario’s first Boys & Girl’s Clubs in Waterloo County in 1915. That club became the model for 4-H Ontario, an organization that supports over 6,000 youth and 1,600 volunteer leaders annually. Knapp’s work emphasized education through doing, leadership through example and opportunity through inclusion- principles that Ron absorbed from both family lore and personal experience.
“Oh, I knew him well,” Ron says. “He was a sweet man. A dairy farmer. Very gentle and kind. He loved teaching. I was born in Waterloo County and was a member of 4-H and Junior Farmers myself, when we moved here to Middlesex. I got a lot out of it.”
When Ron thought about where to direct any funds raised, the answer came: the J. Stanley Knapp Resource Development Fund, administered by The Ontario 4-H Foundation, which supports 4-H project development in Ontario.
“There was already a fund in his name,” Ron explains, “so I thought - this is the best place to direct the energy from the canoe. It connects my own experience of “Learn to do by doing” with his. He gave so much to young people. This is my way to help his legacy continue.”
The canoe is a stunning piece of craftsmanship: warm golden cedar lined with rich grain, accentuated by carefully steam-bent ash details. Lightweight yet strong, traditional yet timeless. But what gives it life is the story behind it.
It is a story of intergenerational learning: from Stanley Knapp’s early livestock courses for farm youth to Ron McRae’s self-taught boat-building inspired by a 75-year-old canoe master and his patient wife.
It is a story of rural heritage: of farms, fairs, 4-H meetings, and Saturday chores—woven into the very fibers of the cedar strips.
It is a story of remembering, not just in sentiment, but in action.
“This canoe is more than a boat,” says Ron. “It’s a symbol. Of where I came from. Of who my grandfather was. Of what I learned through 4-H and through life. And I hope when people see it, they feel that.” Instead of keeping the canoe to paddle with his wife, tickets were printed and sold to raise money for 4-H. The winning ticket drawn at September’s end was Danny Jefferies past president of the Ilderton Fair.
“I think Stanley would be pleased,” Ron says with a smile. “Not just with the canoe, but with the idea of it—of doing something with your hands, learning a new skill, and giving something back.”
As a farmer, Stanley Knapp developed one of Ontario’s top Ayrshire herds and was the first fluid milk producer for the Galt Dairy, operating from 1918 until 1960. He was instrumental in founding the Holstein-Friesian Association of Waterloo County, the Waterloo County Shorthorn Breeders’ Association, and worked to eliminate TB in cattle—voluntarily testing his own herd and encouraging others to follow.
He played a leading role in organizing the Junior Farmers’ Livestock Judging Competition in Ontario, and helped send youth to national competitions, including in Chicago. His example helped build today’s network of 4-H judging events across Canada.
Stanley’s life was marked by perseverance. In 1924, he lost his herd to tuberculosis. In 1937, a house fire claimed most of the family’s possessions. In 1940, a barn fire struck again. Yet with every setback, Stan rebuilt, adapted, and kept going.
“When the going gets tough, Stan Knapp gets going,” friends would say.
His story inspired countless others and became part of 4-H lore: a man who didn’t just teach resilience—he lived it.
