AVIRON CLEMENT 66" PADDLE donated by Bonnie Kukula
$245.00
Original Owner's Name: Bonnie Kukula
Paddle Title: “Aviron Clement 66" Paddle”
Meaning of Paddle Design: Clement Paddles (Aviron in French) were made in Trois Rivieres, Quebec and were very popular in the 1960's and 70's. Each paddle featured an identification sticker on the shaft. Above the sticker was a stamp indicating the total length of the paddle (in this case 66"). At the bottom of the blade is a 3 digit stamp indicating the height and width of the blade (in this case 267 - 26" x 7"). Clement paddles were a favourite of Bill Mason, the legendary Canadian canoeist, naturalist, artist, filmmaker and conservationist.
Paddle Wood: Laminated - possibly a combination of spruce and birch or maple.
Paddle Style: Clement modified whitewater
Paddle Grip: Standard with inlay – 3.25” / 8 cm
Paddle Length: 66" / 167.6 cm.
Paddle Condition: A few nicks and bumps shows the character and history of this fine paddle. For a used paddle, it is in very good shape and shows the respect to which it's owners showed it.
Photograph Location: At Canoe Foundation House at the shore of Lake Ontario.
Short Paddle History: Early in the 1970's, Bonnie and her husband purchased a 16' canoe and 3 Clement paddles for a trip to Vancouver Island. The canoe and paddles were loaded on top of their VW Beetle and they headed west from Toronto. Bonnie's husband canoed amongst the islands in the upper Georgia Strait off the coast near Campbell River and in the Johnstone Strait as it flowed out to the Pacific Ocean, at one point having a close encounter with the backwash from a BC Ferry. They continued paddling in almost every province in Canada - often in the beautiful Algonquin Park in Ontario, and being city folks, sometimes in Toronto's Don River. This paddle is one of three donated by Bonnie (the others are 58" and 60" lengths which each have their own separate listings).