About Muskoka Canoe Works

Muskoka Canoe Works is a family-owned business run by a husband-and-wife team, Dan & Becky VanGelder. A shared passion for wilderness canoe trips, wooden canoes, and woodworking inspired them to launch a business combining these passions.

The story of Muskoka Canoe Works is rooted in the teenage years of Dan and Becky. They met in 2003 in an outdoors program that introduced them to wilderness canoe tripping, and by the end of a ten-day trip in Algonquin, both were hooked. It wasn’t long after the end of this program that the two friends were planning their own backcountry canoe trips, and along the way, friends and paddling partners grew to be a little bit more.

The couple's first significant project together came in 2005 when they restored their first cedar canvas canoe. Becky had been working with Dave Connell since 2001 in a shop that specialized in the construction & restoration of cedar canoes, and Dan had been developing his skills and love for woodworking for many years through shop classes in school and projects at home. Combined, they knew they had what it would take to bring an old canoe, otherwise destined for the bonfire, back to life. The experience of restoring that canoe ignited a lifelong love for the craft. In 2006 they restored a second cedar canoe, and have been collecting, restoring and tripping in cedar canoes ever since.

In 2014 Dan had an opportunity to build his first canoe on a borrowed mold from family friend and fellow canoe builder Jack Hurley. Dan loved the process of crafting this vessel and it got him thinking…why not spend more time combining his passion for woodworking and canoes…and the idea for Muskoka Canoe Works was born. In 2015, with a year of preparations, the couple launched their business, specializing in the construction and restoration of traditional cedar canvas canoes and handcrafted canoe inspired décor and furniture.

Almost 10 years later, the couple found an opportunity to make their ultimate dream a reality; a waterfront property that would support a more sustainable lifestyle AND allow them to operate their beloved business from home. The decision was made to turn the dream into reality, and in 2024 they made the 1400km journey to New Brunswick. Now settled on the banks of the beautiful Wolastoq (Saint John) River, home of the famous Chestnut Canoe, they feel even more connected to the artistry and tradition of canoe building.