Day one at Oshkosh Airventure was a doozy. And how could it not be? With about 500,000 visitors and 10,000-odd planes – from DC-3s and B-17 Bombers to all sorts of one-of-kind, home-built aircraft (like this continent-crossing copter) – it’s the premier aviation event of the summer. Heavy rain in the days leading up to the event, which many have been calling Sloshkosh, had us a bit concerned that crowds would be smaller than usual. But at Hangar B, home to the Red Canoe booth, things looked as busy as ever!
Pitch a tent under the wing of your plane and get comfy. It’s camping – Oshkosh-style.
Monday morning, 8:50 a.m.: The crowd eagerly awaits the start of the day at Hangar B, home to Red Canoe’s booth.
Meet Goliath: The supremely powerful S-64 Skycrane. Total lift capacity: 5000 pounds.
Ever wonder what the world’s busiest control tower looks like? Well, kinda like any other control tower.
It’s a bird! It’s a whale! It’s the U.S. Air Force drone!
No better way to end the day than with some tunes courtesy of Jerry’s One Man Band – an Oshkosh fixture for 24 years.
Stay tuned for more photos – and perhaps a bit of video – from Oshkosh Airventure 2010.
Recently, we received this letter and a couple images from Jesse A. Daring, a Red Canoe customer in Gautier, Mississippi. Check out his story here:
Red Canoe is inspired by stories like that of Mr. Daring; stories that celebrate the romance, history and adventure of the north. And we’ve got to agree with him: Every kid should have a chance to experience the north as he did.
To thank Mr. Daring for sharing his tale, we’ve sent him a de Havilland Beaver cap. Please, share your stories and pictures with us. If we post them on the blog, we’ll send you a little something to say thanks.
We are thrilled to announce the opening of Red Canoe’s New York headquarters. We’ve relocated our offices from Chicago, and we’ll now be running our U.S. distribution and operations out of a lovely prewar construction in New York’s tony Upper West Side. Please email us directly with any inquiries.
On Wednesday, June 23, we celebrated the official opening of our new showroom with members of the media and some close friends and family. Here, some pics of our distinguished guests.
Toronto’s fashion power brokers have a powwow: Anita Clarke, of I Want – I Got, and Corey Ng, stylist extraordinaire.
The invitation.
A carton of irresistible poutine and Jeff Garcia, of Halo Halo Screenprinting, sandwich the Production Kitchen’s Kirsten Gauthier and the National Post’s Shinan Govani.
Red Canoe design genius Anthony Swaneveld points out some highlights to fashion writer Kevin Naulls.
Brett Baston and Kirsten Gauthier flank the woman without whom Red Canoe would surely not exist: Monica Wilkinson, Dax’s mom.
From Bay Street to Dundas Street West: Chris Campbell (left), Fraser McKay, Andrew Offierski and Mayila Dolikon.
Paul Aguirre-Livingston and Kevin Naulls wonder: When will Red Canoe start offering coloured denim? (Dax was not available for comment.)
Guests were treated to a gift bag, which included a Red Canoe cap, a custom Moleskine flight log notebook, a limited edition Red Canoe pennant (courtesy of our friends at the Production Kitchen) and more.
The lovely Jenna Wilson – of Jennalicious Gourmet catering – displays cartons of the outrageously tasty poutine that circulated through the crowd. Unlike the powdered fare that most poutineries present as gravy, Jenna uses real beef jus, boiled down from good, old-fashioned beef bones. Plus, her dad grew the potatoes. Seriously.
Ben Leszcz shows his deep, heartfelt love of Red Canoe.
BlogTO’s fashion editor Briony Smith with fashionista-about-town Michelle Reagan.
After several long, hard days of prep, the brothers Wilkinson breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Caroline Kilgour (left) and Christina Yu of the hot new ad agency, Red Urban. (Check out some of their truly brilliant work here.)
Why are Charles Dumbrille (left) and Michael Liebrock so happy? They must be thinking about our new Black Canoe Gentleman’s Upland Blazer, which will be shipping by mid-August.
Dax drove down his 1974 Airstream for the occasion. Guests enjoyed the original, plush interior, complete with hardwood floors.
Carole Park and Trevor Croft get serious about aviation heritage.
Calgary’s Dalton Beachli polishes off his seventh poutine of the evening as Red Canoe’s own Alicia Sales smiles politely.
After many late nights, and many early mornings, we finally put the finishing touches on our brand new showroom last week. Here, a photographic tour of the new digs.
Above, our new custom-built mirror is flanked by Black Canoe Gentleman’s Upland Blazers and camel Canada Field Cardigans. Hanging above it are three European-mounted whitetail bucks, shot by Dax over three consecutive years.
Our new USAC applique T-shirts rest on some vintage Greek Line shipping crates. (The crates have still got stickers on them from their last voyage – from Southampton to Halifax.) To the right, a sample of our forthcoming North American Aviation shoulder bag, which will be available as part of our Boeing collection in September.
The silk-screened posters here were a gift from our wonderful friends at The Production Kitchen. They depict all sorts of stunning vintage images from the archives of Lake Kukigami. Some of these limited edition prints will soon be available from Red Canoe. Stay tuned for details.
We’ve just begun collecting old tripping packs for a secret project that we’ve got in the works. Please let us know if you’ve got any old tripping packs that we can take off your hands. We are open to barter for RC gear!
Where others see old shipping crates, we see a coffee table. And where others see a WWII footlocker with markers of its journey to and from Europe, we see a great side table. Draped over the couch, one of our RCMP blankets.
A closeup of that WWII footlocker, which David found in Chicago. The decorations are the handiwork of the locker’s original owner.
Our cap display rack was originally a locker at a swimming club: Each basket is numbered and lockable. Hanging to the right is a shot from the 2008 sportsman’s fly-in at Aird Island, featuring Dax, David, their friend Peter Dozzi, and Abby, Dax’s Blue Picardy Spaniel.
What do fashion magazines, old speakeasies, iconic Canadiana, family photos and Harrison Ford have in common? They all occupy important spots on our inspiration board.
The view from the street. Bye-bye Best Bargain!
This is it folks: Where the magic happens. The store is officially open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and by appointment on other days. Pop by to say hello soon!
Earlier this month, Dax and David headed to Dorval, Quebec, home of steamed hot dogs, poutine – and Pierre Trudeau International Airport. The fellows were visiting la belle province to set up a stand-alone retail location in YUL’s international terminal. Here, some shots of the new shop.
Salvaged gin crates, vintage photos from Lake Kukagami (near Sudbury, Ontario) and an old Swiss ammo case offer the feeling of a rustic cabin oasis in the middle of the airport. It almost makes you hope your flight gets delayed. Almost.
The Wilkinson brothers have done it again!
Our first customer strolls out with a Fleur-de-lys cap. (How predictable.) It’s one of a few pieces of Quebec-themed clothing we offer. (Others include the Quebec tartan scarf.) But remember: Montrealers don’t need to travel to the airport to get their hands on great Red Canoe gear. We’re also stocked by Vertige Pop Boutik on Mont Royal East!
It’s official: Our days in Toronto’s ad ghetto, at Portland and Wellington, are history. The future: a former buck store on Dundas Street West. We’re thrilled with our spacious new digs that will serve as our head office, showroom and part-time retail space. Here, the first sneak peek of Red Canoe’s new HQ.
Above, a recent pic of the show room. Things are coming along!
Though we’re now flanked by a video shop and a dentist’s office, word is that the building was originally a Portuguese social hall.
Week one: A big space, full of moving bins – and possibilities.
It’s all a work-in-progress, but at least we’ve got our trusty assistant, Nya, on the job! We’re hoping you’ll be able to come and see the shop in person soon. In the meantime, check back here for more pics and updates!
Last week, Dax headed down to the Niagara Parks Commission to help set up a Red Canoe display at the gift shop there. The Niagara Parks Commission is a logical match for Red Canoe: The institution is an important part of Canadian history.
By the late 19th century, all sorts of commercial development had been crowding the park area around the Falls. And so, in 1885, the Niagara Parks Commission was founded and Casimir Gzowski – the great-grandfather of CBC icon Peter Gzowski – was named its first commissioner. Here, we’ll take a look at the area’s history, in pictures.
Above, Horseshoe Falls and the Upper Niagara River, pictured around 1920.
Above, the new Red Canoe display at the NPC gift shop.
Come to Fallsview! Where the action, uh, never stops! (Above, the intersection of Falls View Bridge and River Road. The Lafayette Hotel is pictured on the right. Circa 1920.)
Nowadays, we call it walking. But in 1900, when this photo was taken at the picnic pavilions in Queen Victoria Park, it was promenading.
Guess what? The Niagara River was pretty damn beautiful 100 years ago, too.
Every year around this time, about 4000 airplanes descend on Lakeland, Florida (about halfway between Orlando and Tampa) for Sun ‘N’ Fun, a fly-in and convention that many call “spring break for pilots.” David headed south to catch the action.
Daily air shows (above two pics) are always a highlight, but this year, the show was undeniably stolen by the USAF Thunderbirds (top), who pulled off some mind-bogglingly precise maneuvers in their F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Above, a short video to give you a sense of the action.
When flying to place called Lakeland, you can’t go wrong with a seaplane. Sun ‘n’ Fun even has a “splash-in” to complement the fly-in. Above, a pair of Aviat Huskys.
What do get when you cross a tin boat with a lawn chair – and a lawnmower engine? Beats us. Somebody should probably ask these folks.
David connects with some fellow Canucks – the gents of Found Aircraft, from Parry Sound, Ontario. In the background is Found’s Expedition E350 – newly certified, and demo-ready. David even got a ride in the terrific new bush plane.
Last weekend, David headed to Washington, D.C., for the Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museums Conference, which is sponsored by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Though David spent much time introducing institutions to the Red Canoe brand, he also found some time to explore the museum – home to the world’s largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft.
Cherry blossom season in D.C.: It’s no space shuttle, but it’ll do.
Inside “America’s Hangar” at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (above). The Center is far more spacious than the main Air and Space Museum at the National Mall, about a half-hour away; it houses countless aircraft and spacecraft, as well as an IMAX Theater and an observation deck, which offers a terrific view of the traffic at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Above, the tail of the massive Space Shuttle Enterprise. Although the “Star Trek” namesake never actually made it into space, the impressive orbiter is still an important aspect of American space exploration history. It’s the centerpiece of the museum’s space collection.
What’s better than dinner and drinks? Dinner and drinks among long range missiles and space launch vehicles, of course.
Even if you don’t recognize this gentleman, you surely know the photo. That’s William Anders, one of the first three men to enter the moon’s orbit, and the iconic photo he took, “Earthrise.” Anders, who traveled to space a full seven months before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, can now add another historic first to his bio: He’ll be the first owner of a piece of our forthcoming Boeing collaboration. After David offered him a sneak peek of the North American Aviation P-51 Flight Kit Bag – still at the sample stage – Anders insisted that he get his hands on the bag. How could we refuse?
Red Canoe creates products that hope to stir emotions and rekindle love for not only Canada, but also the history of everyone's own unique heritage. Follow the Red Canoe Blog for updates on new products, events, and stories.
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