Just outside Lakefield, Ontario. Paluski Boats Limited Canoe and kayak manufacturer cottage settled in the country.
Owner Graham Wilkins says it is one of the few companies in Canada that manufactures watercraft with a process called rotomolding.
“It almost starts out as polyethylene dust. It’s cool enough,” Wilkins said. “So it flows inside the aluminum molds and as the machine heats up, the dust sticks itself against the aluminum and each layer builds up on top of the other.”
He said the three layers are combined into a mold and heated for durability, stability and flotation. Most are heated to between 350 and 400 F.
“There’s a recipe for each boat that includes the weight of the shift, how long it cooks and when it’s tilted back and forth,” Wilkins said.
Picture a large metal tube on an inclined rotisserie. Hence, the name rotomolding. He said this process creates a sturdier kayak that lasts longer than when pressed and formed from a single sheet of plastic.
In total, Wilkins said it takes about two hours to cook and cool the kayaks. They take out about four kayaks and four canoes daily at their facility.
Once the watercraft is out of the ‘oven’, holes are cut for the top of the boat and any seats while the plastic is still hot. Wilkins said the seats and end caps, or any joints, are made from scraps of other canoes and kayaks.
“All the offcuts are sent back to the supplier who supplies us with polythene. They grind it, add black pigment and we use the exact same plastic ground-up to make our component parts,” he said. “So there’s no waste.”
The company started in the 80s, first as a boat repair and fiberglass manufacturer. Now, it works with the retail company Adventure Outfitters to produce rotomolded boats on site.
Wilkins, no stranger to water, was on the Canada national rowing team. He eventually turned that passion into a business.
Now, he said, boating interest boomed during the pandemic for the two busiest years.
“We are so busy that we haven’t closed our plant,” he said. “We try to do it in August but for the last two years we haven’t closed any plants till October or November.”
He is not alone as other outdoor appliance retailers have had a boom in business during the pandemic. Tori Silveira, general manager of Wild Rock Outfitters Inc. in Peterborough, ON, said more people were turning to outdoor activities while COVID-19 restrictions were in place.
“We feel extremely fortunate to be in an industry that can thrive in a pandemic,” she said. “Sales of canoes, kayaks and SUPs were higher because people worked from cottages or didn’t work at all,” she said.
He said that bike and boat sales are starting to level out and people are now concentrating on those small camps.
“People often ask where things are made, especially with shoes and clothing, and will take a little extra thought on goods made or designed in Canada, Fair Trade or sustainable,” Silver said.
Wilkins agreed, saying he had seen more people looking for products made in Canada.
“We have certainly seen a change, over the past two years, from just being concerned about getting the lowest price and worrying about the quality of a product and getting a product made in Canada,” he said. .
Meanwhile, back at the Palusky warehouse, we’re almost going through our boat-building process. Seats and component parts are added and edges are smoothed and finished. Then, just add water – or not.
“My favorite story I once saw a family porting with one of our boats and they loaded the boat up so much that they had on wheels. The kids were still going downhill,” Wilkins he said.
“They were using it like a wheelbarrow, so you know it’s durable and it’s one of my favorite parts to see things like this.”