In an effort to build and continue to foster its relationship with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, the Canadian Canoe Museum has hired a new director to lead its community work with Indigenous Peoples.

Robin Binèsi Cavanagh has been named the museum’s first director of Indigenous Peoples’ Collaborative Relations and has already begun his work in that new role.

“I see such a great future for the canoe museum and a future that will continue to inspire and continue to assist the children in reimagining the water and the canoe and the world around them,” said Cavanagh, a graduate of Trent University who, recently, held the role as senior policy advisor with the Chiefs of Ontario, and associate director with the Indigenous Education Coalition.

The Canadian Canoe Museum will start building a new state-of-the-art, 85,000-sq.-ft. foot facility at the foot of the historic Lift Lock canal within a few years and ahead of the construction Cavanagh says his first priority is to reach out to the Williams Treaty First Nations People here, and get their support for the process and to include them, along with their cultural protocols, in the building initiative.

Cavanagh says he’s already met with the people of Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations as part of that move to bring the communities together to collaborate.

“It’s about understanding Indigenous processes and protocols and beginning to accept them and use them and have them be part of our daily working relationships with Indigenous communities and benefiting from them,” he said.

Moving forward, Cavanagh’s focus will shift nationally to foster new partnerships with Indigenous communities from coast-to-coast.

“I do what we might call outreach but what I am doing, as I mentioned to the board of directors, I am not the expert, but what I hope to be is a reflection of the Canadian Canoe Museum and the good work they are doing internally and I will begin sharing that with the communities that I will be meeting right across Canada.”

The new canoe museum is a $65-million project that will house the world’s largest collection of canoes and kayaks.

It’s hoped the museum will celebrate its grand opening by 2022.

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