Handmade by Master builder, César Newashish in 1971, the canoe is constructed from birchbark, wood, and spruce root.Only five freight canoes from the 1800s–all less than thirty-six feet in length–survived into the twentieth century and two have since been destroyed by fire. This unique canoe pays homage to the crucial role the freight canoe played in Canada’s economic, social, and political development.

During the Canadian fur trade era, thirty-six foot canoes, such as the ROM’s canoe, known as canots du Maître were used along the larger river and lake routes. They were paddled by crews of eight to ten individuals and carried up to four tons of total weight.