Updated: This year’s Maine Canoe Symposium has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next symposium is set to take place in June 2021.
In 1889, a man standing in the bank of the Penobscot River was said to have observed E.M. White descending a rapid in a new, state of the art canoe. A canoe made from cedar strips, steam-bent ash ribs, skinned in painted canvas.
In the 131 years since, canoe sport has continued to evolve. Materials like aluminum, fiberglass, kevlar, plastic, and carbon fiber have allowed paddlers to go faster, farther, and both down and up rock-strewn rapids.
2019 marked another such period of transition for canoeing in Maine. As many of you know, this past year we celebrated the last Maine Canoe Symposium to be held on the shores of Moose Pond. All of us at MCS are incredibly grateful for the 33 years of hospitality offered by our friends at Camp Winona and the Ordway family. Though the stunning sunsets and early morning coffee by the old stone fireplace will certainly be missed, it will not be the end of our journey. We have many more miles to paddle before we reach our take-out.
The Maine Canoe Symposium will live-on and in our 34th year we are just as committed to offering a world-class event for those compelled to explore the many natural wonders of our waterways and celebrating the craft that gets us there.
We are very excited to announce our new partnership with University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond.
Bryant Pond’s beautiful campus has all the hallmarks of the classic MCS experience: tall pines, lakeside camping, and hands-on workshops with experienced Maine guides. We are also very excited to explore all the new opportunities this location will offer to enhance our program, for example, moving-water workshops and expanded youth program.
So, stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks as we announce this year’s program and guest speakers.
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