OROMOCTO, NB – Two traditional boat builders from Oromocto are determined to keep their tradition alive. Hand crafted cedar canoes have been built in New Brunswick for over a century, but quality builders and the wood used to craft the vessels are getting hard to find.
Steve Sabattis and Steve Jones from Great Spirit Canoes on Oromocto First Nations are working together to try and keep and the New Brunswick tradition afloat.
“We refurbish old canoes make new ones, bring the old ones back to life.” said Sabattis.
“We’re just trying to keep the old Chestnut name alive in New Brunswick.” said Jones.
Jones says traditional cedar canoes have been built near Oromocto since the late 1800’s. He and his father crafted the vessels near the banks of the Saint John river for 23 years before selling their company to Oromocto First Nation.
“I came in to do the training and I was only supposed to be here for a year.”
But 13 years later – he hasn’t put the sander down yet. Jones says boat building gets into your blood, something Sabattis has learned growing up in the First Nations community.
“I just like to make them perfect.”
But that is getting harder and harder to do, because the premium cedar used to make these works of art is getting harder to find at the local mills.
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“The trees that are out there now they are cutting them kiln drying them and sending them out of the country.”
“We are not exactly priority it’s the bigger companies buying larger quantities,” said Sabattis.
He says that is sad in a province where boat building is so deeply rooted in our history. The pair are now forced to try to find wood from private woodlot owners or bring it in from Montreal.
“We’ve had to sit on projects for almost a year. Because we didn’t have the wood.”
So the boys have had to break from tradition somewhat. They now also craft custom furniture from the left over wood they do manage to find.
“That’s when we decided to start building these value added product and use up all the material we can,” said Jones
They’ll do whatever it takes to keep this small business above water.
“It was been a little rough keeping it going but people are still bringing their old boats in to be fixed,” said Sabattis.
Most of their new products are shipped outside of New Brunswick to Ontario and Quebec. The boys wish more of their boats set sail in New Brunswick waters, but feel at at least they have managed to keep the tradition alive here at home.
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