It all adds up to an authentic birch bark canoe, and no two are alike. One that would have been built the same way by First Nations people hundreds of years ago.
“I keep getting better and better at it,” Byers said. “I want the canoes to always be better. I have gotten more artistic over the years with the canoes. You need patience to do this and be resourceful. I love doing what I do. I have freedom to do it. I don’t live by expensive means. Birch bark canoe building is the ultimate bushcraft. I’m happy I can do it. I had a certain natural ability for it. I learn something new from every canoe I build. Your hands and eyes are the most important aspects to it. It is everything.”
Byers has his heart set on making 100 canoes. He is 14 away.
“I usually do three to five canoes a year, so I don’t see why I can’t reach 100,” he said. “It never occurred to me I would get to this number when I first started. I only ever wanted to build one.”