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When the students get to see this part of their culture, “it sets them up for a big feeling of pride” McNair-Landry said.

He said kayaks originated in the northern regions of Canada, Iceland and Greenland, and that the original building methods are still the best.

Photo by Pat McGrath

“Really what we’ve added to modern kayaks is plastic and beer holders,” he said. “We think that we’ve done a lot over the years, but Inuit have been doing this for over 1,000.”

The pair completed a 1,000-km journey in a similar style of kayak two years ago.

McNair-Landry said the idea to team up with Students on Ice came on that trip, when they ran into another group of students while hitching a ride on a passing boat.

“We hadn’t seen anyone for, like, 10 days, and all of a sudden we see all these students pouring off this ship,” he said.

Before long, they’d got in touch with the people at Students on Ice, and eventually got involved with the Museum of Nature when the museum asked them to build the kayaks on site.

The reception at the museum was great, says scientific interpreter Annie Belair.

Most of the kids just want to touch them, she said, but at least once a day someone comes in and says, “I’ve built my own boat!”

One bearded and bespectacled man, in yoga pants and a blue windbreaker, stood chatting with the pair for well over 30 minutes, showing them a few books he’d brought with him.

Neither builder seemed to mind, their eyes lighting up when the topic of conversation was kayaks.

“Kayaking is really a vibrant par of Canadian culture,” McNair-Landry said. “This group of people, Inuit, have inspired an Olympic sport. Not many groups can say that.”