Elchuk, also known as Opal in local art circles, says that in some ways it was the canoe that brought her to Peterborough. There was no deal with the devil — a reference to the legend of the flying canoe — but she found success here and is eager to share it again when the new Canadian Canoe Museum opens in 2023. The story behind the legend of the flying canoe is part of historic Canadian lore. Details how, during a boozy New Year’s Eve, a group of travelers make a deal with the devil that would allow their canoe to fly through the skies to their loved ones some 500km away. Elchuk, whose artistic focus is aerial performance, says the story inspired her. When she first came to Peterborough, her first job was at the Canadian Canoe Museum. She soon envisioned a way to connect her passions through performance. “I just brainstormed and it all came together … it just seemed to fit perfectly,” he recalls. “Peterborough is the capital of canoeing and doing this is very much a part of my life. I worked in the museum’s teaching program, doing some travel guiding for them and stuff like that, so that’s how I was so familiar with the history of the flying canoe.” Bringing in other artists, he put together a show that was eventually displayed inside what is now the canoe museum. Other recorded performances show how he created art from history. It has evolved somewhat through other shows and has been invited to make it part of the grand opening experience at the new facility, which is set to open late next summer or early fall. Located between the shores of Little Lake and Asburnham Drive, the new $40 million museum is being built on a five-acre site in Peterborough’s east end. The two-story, 65,000-square-foot building will house the museum’s canoe collection in an artifact preservation environment and offer a 17,000-square-foot exhibit hall, along with a craft studio, canoe-making studio, a library and research room, cafe and terrace adjacent to Lake. Elchuk says given her history with the museum, she’s proud to be a part of the grand opening experience. “I will be presenting an aerial canoe performance during the opening celebrations of the new canoe museum.” He said there will be many festivities within the first month of the opening, so it has not been determined which dates he will present. “Definitely for a grand opening event, but not necessarily on the very first day it opens.” He also said it has yet to be determined whether the show will be held indoors or outdoors. He has worked on other shows, but since learning about the opportunity, he has refocused on flying canoe. He recently learned that the grant application to hold the show was approved. I’ve applied for some other funding to get other grants to support it… sometimes when you care so much about a project, you’ll spend more hours on it.” With more funding, they can allocate more hours to improve performance. SHARE:
