Northern Ontario adventurer aims to make waves with giant canoe paddle
32-metre paddle being constructed in Killarney, Ont.
An outdoor adventurer from northwestern Ontario is fulfilling a long-time dream, in building what he believes will be the world's largest paddle in Killarney, Ont.
Mike Ranta, who is originally from Atikokan in northwestern Ontario, but moved to Killarney in 2017, says the giant 107-foot-long (32 metre) wooden structure is already on display, and awaits only the finishing touches in the spring.
"It's getting a little late in the year to be dangling off scaffolding and things like that," he said, "but hopefully we'll have it presentable by June."
Ranta, who is known for embarking on gruelling, month-long solo paddles, said he's long dreamed of building the giant paddle, which he's dubbed "The Big Dipper."
"I've always had paddling in my blood. I was raised up in Atikokan, Ontario. So I mean, that's the canoeing capital of Canada," he said.
He also intends the paddle to serve as a tribute to Canada's veterans, Ranta said, noting that a number of the paddlers he's looked up to over the years have been veterans, as were many of the people he met on his paddling journeys.
"And I decided to build it for them," he said.
"It's a place where ... if somebody wants to pay some homage to a veteran, you know we want to have a little spot that you can have a sit down and you know I'm putting a big poppy on that paddle and I couldn't think of a more Canadian way to say thank you to these veterans."
