Canoe, British Columbia, is a charming semi-rural community nestled within the larger City of Salmon Arm. Located on the south side of Shuswap Lake, northeast of the city centre, Canoe is just a stone's throw away from the Trans Canada Highway. The community is home to the Canoe Forest Products plywood plant, a significant local employer that processes lumber from the surrounding forests for sale and export.
The history of Canoe, British Columbia, is deeply intertwined with the Secwepemc peoples, who used the mouth of Canoe Creek as a launch site for their dugout canoes to navigate Shuswap Lake. The town of Canoe was established in the late 1800s, coinciding with the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway and British Columbia's confederation with Canada.
The local economy was initially rooted in agriculture and forestry. An apple-packing plant, which received produce from surrounding farms and exported via the adjacent railway tracks, brought significant business to the community in the early 1900s. The Canoe post office opened its doors in 1909, and Canoe has been marked on official maps since at least 1915.
Today, the former packing plant sites are occupied by family housing, but many of the other historical buildings, including the 1919 Victory Hall, a former library, and churches, still stand. The early history of Canoe has been documented in a 1980 limited press book, "The Saga of Canoe, 1888–1938," which features photos of the heritage buildings and founding families, many of whom are still present in the community.
Canoe's attractions are primarily oriented around summertime tourism. The community boasts a 27-hole executive golf course and restaurant, go-carts and mini-golf, two motels, a coffee bistro and roaster, a marina, a wharf, two boat launches, parks and trails, and a free public beach.
The 1919 Victory Hall, recently renovated, now hosts local events and concerts. Canoe Beach, the only public beach in the immediate Salmon Arm area, draws significant local tourist traffic in the summer months. The beach and adjacent park areas host important events for the wider Salmon Arm community, such as seasonal ball tournaments, the CP Holiday Train, and the 150th Canada Day celebration.
On January 27, 2010, the Olympic Torch for the 2010 Winter Olympic games made its way through Canoe on day 90 en route to Vancouver. The community's name is thought to have originated from early white travelers who were impressed by the dugout canoes drawn up on the beach.
