Ontario Canoe Company

Years in Business
1883-1892

The Ontario Canoe Company was founded in 1883 by Colonel James Z. Rogers in Peterborough, Ontario. The company’s offerings were based on the cedar strip and cedar rib style canoes invented and patented by John Stephenson. The factory burned down May 9, 1892, and would not be re-built. Rogers would become supervisor of the newly-formed Peterborough Canoe Company, which was incorporated shortly before the Ontario Canoe Company burned down. Arthur Tebb, a former Ontario Canoe Company supervisor, and Felix Brownscombe formed the Canadian Canoe Company, also in 1892.

The Ontario Canoe Company built the first club, or “war,” canoe in 1889. The club canoe, which was designed to carry several paddlers, opened the door to canoe club membership to those who did not own their own canoe.

The canoes offered by the Ontario Canoe Company were constructed using techniques patented by J.S. Stephenson for the longitudinal cedar strip (Canada Patent No. 32701 and US Patent No. 292183) and cedar rib construction (Canada Patent No. 10063 and US Patent No. 281316).

Models Offered

Construction Styles:

  • Board and Batten Wide planking (usually 3 or 4 boards per side) fastened to narrow half-round ribs. Planking seams between ribs are covered with half-round battens. 
  • Patent Longitudinal Rib 5/16” thick planking approximately 1” wide, running the length of the canoe. The planking is tongue-and-grooved, and fastened to half-round oak ribs.
  • Patent Rib Cedar strips, about 1” wide, tongue and grooved, and running from gunwale to gunwale.

Named Models:

  • Open Canoe - built in longitudinal strip, patent rib, and basswood (wide-board styles) in lengths ranging from 10 1/2’ to 17’
  • Juniper Canoe - built on open canoe designs, the ends are decked over about 3’, continuing along the sides, and with a coaming.
  • Ontario Canoe - built on open canoe designs, decked over leaving a cockpit about 4-1/2’ long. Often provided with fittings and rigs for sailing.
Model Number Name Dimensions Construction
Open Canoes
1 Open Canoe 14½ x 26½ x 10 patent rib
2 Open Canoe 15 x 28 x 10½ patent rib
3 Open Canoe 15½ x 29 x 11½ patent rib
4 Open Canoe 16 x 31 x 12¼ patent rib
5 Open Canoe 16½ x 33 x 13 patent rib
6 Open Canoe 17 x 35 x 13¼ patent rib
7 Open Canoe 17½ x 37 x 14 patent rib
11 Open Canoe 17½ x 21 x 10 patent rib
15 Open Canoe 10½ x 24 x 10 patent rib
16 Open Canoe 11½ x 24 x 10 patent rib
17 Open Canoe 12¾ x 24 x 10 patent rib
18 Open Canoe 13 x 25½ x 10 patent rib
19 Open Canoe 13½ x 27 x 10½ patent rib
20 Open Canoe 14 x 28½ x 11 patent rib
21 Open Canoe 14½ x 30 x 11½ patent rib
22 Open Canoe 15 x 31 x 12 patent rib
23 Open Canoe 15½ x 33 x 12½ patent rib
24 Open Canoe 16 x 34½ x 13 patent rib
42 Open Canoe 15 x 27 x 10&¾ patent longitudinal rib
43 Open Canoe 15½ x 29 x 11½ patent longitudinal rib
44 Open Canoe 16 x 31 x 12 patent longitudinal rib
45 Open Canoe 16½ x 33 x 12¾ patent longitudinal rib
46 Open Canoe 17 x 35 x 13¼ patent longitudinal rib
75 Open Canoe 11 x 24 x 10 board and batten
76 Open Canoe 12 x 24 x 10 board and batten
77 Open Canoe 12¾ x 25 x 10 board and batten
78 Open Canoe 13½ x 26 x 10 board and batten
79 Open Canoe 14 x 28½ x 10½ board and batten
80 Open Canoe 14½ x 29½ x 11 board and batten
81 Open Canoe 15 x 31 x 11½ board and batten
82 Open Canoe 15½ x 32½ x 12½ board and batten
83 Open Canoe 16 x 34 x 12½ board and batten
84 Open Canoe 16½ x 35 x 13 board and batten
87 Open Canoe 12 x 32 board and batten
88 Open Canoe 13 x 36 x 13 board and batten
89 Open Canoe 14 x 42 x 14 board and batten
90 Open Canoe 15 x 45 x 15 board and batten
Juniper Canoes
  These are canoes that are decked 3' at each end, with side decks 3" wide. A coaming 1½" runs aroundthe cockpit. Used with paddle and/or sail.  
110 Juniper 14 x 28 x 9½ cedar rib
111 Juniper 14½ x 30 x 10 cedar rib
117 Juniper 14-11 x 31½ x 11 cedar rib
92 Juniper 15 x 27 x 9 cedar rib
104 Juniper 15 x 30 x 10½ cedar rib
93 Juniper 15½ x 29 x 10 cedar rib
116 Juniper 15-5 x 30½ x 10 cedar rib
119 Juniper 15-11 x 30 x 10 cedar rib
94 Juniper 16 x 30 x 10 cedar rib
229 Juniper 14 x 28 x 9½ longitudinal rib
212 Juniper 15 x 27 x 9¼ longitudinal rib
237 Juniper 15 x 31½ x 10 longitudinal rib
224 Juniper 15-3 x 30 x 10 longitudinal rib
236 Juniper 15½ x 30½ x 10 longitudinal rib
139 Juniper 16 x 30 x 10½ longitudinal rib
169 Juniper 14 x 28½ x 9 board and batten
170 Juniper 14½ x 29½ x 9½ board and batten
152 Juniper 15 x 27 x 9½ board and batten
177 Juniper 15 x 31½ x 10 board and batten
164 Juniper 15-3 x 30 x 10 board and batten
176 Juniper 15½ x 30½ x 10 board and batten
154 Juniper 16 x 31 x 10 board and batten
179 Juniper 16 x 30 x 10 board and batten
Ontario
  Sailing and cruising canoes with cockpits between 4½ and 7½ feet long. They were fitted with airtanks and mast tubes. Centerboards were optional.  
140 Ontario 14 x 28½ x 9 cedar rib
141 Ontario 14½ x 30 x 10 cedar rib
147 Ontario 14-11 x 31½ x 11 cedar rib
122 Ontario 15 x 27 x 10 cedar rib
134 Ontario 15 x 30 x 10 cedar rib
123 Ontario 15½ x 29 x 10 cedar rib
146 Ontario 15-5 x 30½ x 10 cedar rib
149 Ontario 15-10 x 30 x 10 cedar rib
259 Ontario 14 x 28 x 9 longitudinal rib
242 Ontario 15 x 27 x 10¾ longitudinal rib
267 Ontario 15 x 31½ x 11 longitudinal rib
254 Ontario 15-3 x 30 x 10 longitudinal rib
266 Ontario 15½ x 30½ x 10 longitudinal rib
269 Ontario 16 x 30 x 11 longitudinal rib
199 Ontario 14 x 28 x 10½ board and batten
200 Ontario 14½ x 29½ x 11 board and batten
182 Ontario 15 x 27 x 10½ board and batten
207 Ontario 15 x 31½ x 11 board and batten
194 Ontario 15-3 x 30 x 11 board and batten
206 Ontario 15½ x 30½ x 11 board and batten
209 Ontario 16 x 30 x 11 board and batten
184 Ontario 16 x 31 x 11 board and batten
Single Handers
  Wider sailing canoes built in the board and batten style of basswood, butternut or cedar. Two mast tubes were standard. Centerboards, air tanks, and bulkheads were optional.  
338 Single Hander 13 x 36 x 12 board and batten
339 Single Hander 14 x 42 x 13 board and batten
340 Single Hander 15 x 45 x 14 board and batten
Notes:
  • Information is from the ca. 1892-93 catalog.
  • Source catalog copy was missing pages for model numbers 61-69 (board and batten style construction)
References
  • Brown, Ken. 2011. The Canadian Canoe Company & the Early Peterborough Canoe Factories. Cover to Cover.
  • ​Stephenson, Gerald F. 1987. John Stephenson and the Famous “Peterborough Canoes”. Occasional Paper No. 8, Peterborough Historical Society.
Filed Under:
Ontario Canoe Company