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  From left to right, Rob Knodel (Winnipeg Free Press), Paul Moralee, Gordon ?? (KIXX) listen as Keith describes the how his canoes are made |
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"Tough and light"..... Keith Robinson is savvy businessman who had a good idea and has made the most of it – build a canoe that is both tough and light, able to take a good deal of punishment. And you can tell by the number of Souris River Canoes running around on the top of vehicles, that his idea has quite a few supporters.
Keith and his wife, Arlene took the name for the business from where it all began -- Souris River, Manitoba, in 1985. They decided that they wanted to build canoes near to Quetico Park, so, 1992, they moved to Atikokan, which serendipitously, now is the "Canoe Capital of Canada". The canoes made of kevlar / epoxy or duralite, with a flexible rib system, weigh between 43 lb (the lightest) to 53 lb (the heaviest) depending on the length and material. They are made in a mold, cured and removed, like a muffin from a muffin tin. Like other people I have spoken to recently in the canoe and paddle businesses locally, Keith speaks with obvious passion about his product. It has taken many years of research and development to consistently produce the "toughest and lightest canoe on the market". Keith speaks in glowing terms about the highly skilled people who work for him, turning out two canoes a day, five hundred canoes a year, filling orders from all over Canada, the United States and even further afield. In 1992, when SRC began its operations in Atikokan, Keith had one employee and himself, now he has six full-time employees, and one summer staffer. It is because Keith hires exceptional people to create his canoes that his business has seen slow but steady growth over the past ten years. Souris River Canoes are used, and have been tested by outfitters, which is likely the most intense torture testing they could have. If there are problems in the design or functioning of the canoes, they would show up quickly. A testimonial on the SRC website speaks for itself: The Quetico 17 handled extremely well. Very good stability overall, easy to maneuver and I felt very fast through the water. Most of the time, my wife and I were ahead of the kayaks which I am told are faster than canoes, but we had no evidence of that as we were easily ahead of the majority of kayaks all day with out working hard. Extremely light weight, about 51-lbs., very easy to load onto the car top and especially to Portage. Randy Byers Souris River Canoes has a well-designed website, (www.sourisriver.com) replete with FAQs (frequently asked questions) and detailed descriptions of the various models – the Quetico 16, the Prospector 17, the Jensen Huron 18, the Wilderness 18 and the newest models, the Quetico 17, and the Quetico 18.5. Keith's wife, Arlene, an extraordinarily creative woman, designed not only the distinctive Souris River Canoe logo, but also the canoe storage system in the newly constructed warehouse. Modeled on the system for moving carcasses in a meat locker (lousy analogy, but it's the only one I can think of), the system allows immediate access to any canoe in the building. It was really quite beautiful, watching the graceful lines of the canoes, hanging vertically and then moving gently through space. It evoked images of slender dancers, beautiful, yet strong and eminently functional. |