Canoe, British Columbia, is a small semi-rural community within the larger City of Salmon Arm just off the Trans Canada Highway. The community lies on the south side of Shuswap Lake, east of the city centre. Canoe is home to the Co-Op Canoe Mill, which processes lumber from the surrounding forests for sale and export, via the Canadian Pacific railway.
Historically, an apple-packing plant receiving produce from surrounding farms and exporting via the adjacent railway tracks, in addition to the mill, also brought much business to the community in the early 1900s.[1] The former packing plant now holds family housing, but many of the other former amenities' buildings, including halls and churches, still stand. The early history on Canoe has been documented in a 1980 limited press book, "The Saga of Canoe, 1888-1938"[1] and highlights photos of the heritage buildings and their founding families, many of which the former and latter are still present in the town.
The community hosts numerous local services including a village market, post office, community hall, senior's hall, churches and a North Canoe Elementary School.[2] Serving summer tourists from nearby Sicamous's houseboat industry, Canoe's attractions include a 27-hole executive golf course and restaurant,[3] go-carts and mini-golf, motels, pub/take-out restaurant, two marinas, wharf, and a free public beach. Canoe Beach is the only public beach in the immediate Salmon Arm area and draws much tourist traffic in summer months.[4]
Most residents of Canoe work in Salmon Arm, which is only a 7-minute drive from the city centre, though some businesses operate in Canoe including Canoe Plumbing, several hairdressers, a violin school,[5] and other home-based businesses.
Federated Co-operatives operates a sawmill and plywood plant in the community. The new Salmon Arm water treatment facility is located beside Canoe Beach in a new high tech facility.[6]
On January 27, 2010 the Olympic Torch for the 2010 Canada Olympic Games made its way through Canoe on day 90 en route to its final destination of Vancouver.[7]