by Mike Elliott, Kettle River Canoes
On October 23rd, I was a guest speaker at the 2014 BC Museum Association Conference in Penticton. I had the pleasure of delivering my presentation in the beautiful upper lounge at the SS Sicamous museum. The theme for this year’s conference was “Museums as Third Space”, so my first task was to understand the concept of Third Space.
In his book “The Great Good Place” (1989), Ray Oldenberg describes “public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact.” Places such as pubs, cafés, parks, street markets, post offices, museums, galleries and libraries allow people “to put aside their concerns and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them.” More recently, this concept has developed into the idea of any space in a community or society that isn’t a family or work environment, but rather a “Third Space” (either physical or virtual) that is sociable, comfortable, accessible and engaging.
Many museums and galleries have mission statements focussed on collecting, preserving, researching and exhibiting objects. The question that arises is, “What role does the visitor play in this work?” Museums and galleries have come to realize that, as important as the objects are, they are nothing if people are not there to experience them. Therefore, museums and galleries exist, first and foremost, in order to provide experiences for people. Their mission statements must shift to focus on the creation of visitor spaces that promote social affiliation, relaxation, easy access and stimulating interest.
For example, prior to 2008, the Biology Museum at the University of Colorado in Boulder averaged 50 visitors/week. After changing their mission statement, they redesigned the museum. Now, the BioLounge is an inviting, relaxing space (offering coffee and free wi-fi) that averages 50 visitors/day – a seven-fold increase.
At the BCMA Conference in Penticton, I presented the idea of the wooden canoe as Third Space. More specifically, I talked about the Third Space created by the Penticton Museum as they restored a 30’ C-15 racing canoe (circa 1949) and re-established the tradition of the regatta in the Okanagan Valley.
Kettle River Canoes as Third Space
When I ask people what they think Kettle River Canoes does, they say, “You restore canoes.” If the focus of the business was on the technical work, that would be correct.
Instead, the focus of the business at KRC is on the people that want their canoes restored. The slogan for the company sums it up nicely – “Rebuilding friendships, one canoe at a time”. Therefore, instead of restoring canoes, KRC restores the relationship that people have with their canoes.
photo – Gerry Albert
This difference is at the heart of the way the business operates. When a new client brings his/her canoe into the shop for restoration, I set aside three hours for the “in-take interview”. I need to know the stories of family adventures with the canoe. Through the stories, I learn about their canoe as a member of the family. For example, this client had his canoe restored so that his daughter could paddle away in the family canoe with her husband on their wedding day.
Social media on-line plays a huge role in creating a virtual Third Space for KRC. This blog provides technical and historical information which creates an engaging experience for people interested in wood-canvas canoes. The blog articles are linked to KRC on Facebook and Twitter. As each canoe is restored, I take photos of the work and post them in dedicated albums on Facebook. The clients love watching their canoes as they come back to life because it provides them with a renewed sense of connection. The client can also see comments from people around the world who also enjoy watching the canoe being restored. By sharing a common interest, people develop a social network with the canoe the touchstone.
All of this makes KRC more accessible to people who are interested in wood-canvas canoes. Anyone looking for canoe restoration services will find KRC appearing prominently in any search on-line.
The Penticton Museum War Canoe Restoration Project as Third Space
I was first invited to coordinate the restoration of 30’ (9 meter) racing canoes for the Penticton Museum in January of this year. The curator – Peter Ord, made it clear that he wanted the community (students and volunteers) to be involved in the restoration process. For Peter, it was important to build a knowledge base in Penticton around the skills and techniques required to restore these canoes.
He also wanted to restore the regatta as a grand social event in the Okanagan Valley. In the early 1900’s, regattas around Okanagan Lake attracted thousands of people from every community in the valley.
The premier event in these regattas was the C-15 ‘War Canoe’ race. Highly skilled crews of 15 paddlers would race 30’ (9 meter) canoes on courses that started and finished on the same beach. This afforded the spectators the chance to see both the start and the finish of the race.
In this project, Penticton saw the regatta return to the Okanagan valley as well as the return of the C-15 ‘War Canoe’ race. It was truly a vibrant ‘Third Space for Penticton. Kids made and raced model boats, people had a chance to take lessons in kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding and everyone could buy a hamburger or cold drink and watch a variety of races.
The war canoes were the stars of the show. I met people who raced in them 50 years or more ago. I was approached by others who wanted to get involved in the restoration of two more canoes. People walking along the beach on their regular Sunday morning stroll were treated to a wonderful event on Okanagan Lake. They had a chance to meet other people, share in a common interest, relax and simply have fun doing something away from home or work. These old canoes created a wonderful, engaging Third Space.
