Two Belizean canoe builders with a special connection to a Canadian canoe builder were commissioned to build a racing canoe for His Royal Highness Prince Harry. As part of his tour of Central America in March, the Prince visited the small, British Commonwealth country in celebration of his grandmother’s Diamond Jubilee.
The Jubilee Canoe was officially launched by His Royal Highness on March 3rd just in time for la Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge – a popular, multi-day canoe race in the country. The Prince, in turn, gifted the canoe to a local high school and the chosen ‘Commonwealth’ team proudly raced the gorgeously crafted woodstrip canoe to the finish line – a distance of 170 miles , placing 6th in their category. The boat was crafted by Belizean canoe builders Efren Ku and Omar Ku, employees of the Woodwork and Canoe Shop at Chaa Creek Lodge. The Woodwork and Canoe Shop, located on the grounds of Chaa Creek in western Belize, is a facility tightly connected to Ted Moores and Joan Barrett of Bear Mountain Boats in Peterborough, Ontario. For over a decade, Barrett and Moores have traveled many times to Belize to teach boat building and woodworking to local people. The opening of the shop at Chaa Creek Lodge was partly inspired by the work they have done there, and is a place for those they have taught to continue to practice their skills while earning a living.
