The Thousand Islands Boat Museum Is A Must-See
Published: Wednesday, April 8, 2020
The Thousand Islands Boat Museum in Gananoque, Ontario has been building a tangible legacy to house special nautical treasures… and it’s almost complete! Located on the St. Lawrence River just 20 minutes from Kingston, the Boathouse is already attracting visitors from far and wide, sharing the magic spirit of the Thousand Islands with all who visit.
The Museum just celebrated its 6th birthday, so let’s start with a few words about how the Boat Museum came to be...
In 1993, the "Thousand Islands Antique Boat Museum Trust" was 
created by a group of individuals committed to creating a Canadian boat museum. This imagined museum would collect, preserve, and display in-water boats, and would offer hands-on learning. Over the years, the Trust collected boats significant to the area in preparation for the eventual creation of a museum.
Before it had a physical home on the waterfront, the organization started with a pilot boat-building program in the local high school and community conversations about establishing a boat museum. In 2014, a 49-year agreement to lease four waterfront buildings and a water lot from the Town of Gananoque was signed. Finally, a unique boat museum on the Canadian shores of the St. Lawrence River was possible. Through the commitment of its volunteer Board of Directors, the Thousand Islands Boat Museum (TIBM) was incorporated under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act in November 2014 as a private organization, independent of the Town of Gananoque or any other government body.
The Museum has been busy since then! Boats have been built in the local high school, kids have learned about river safety, and events like the TIBM Boat Show and Family Day have become annual celebrations. The Sailing School is in its fourth year (128 kids aged 8-14 have learned to sail so far), a team of eight university/high school students have been employed every summer, all of the Museum buildings have been renovated and spruced up, the collection of boats has been maintained and increased (we’re up to 35), and exhibits telling stories about the river, boats, and people have been developed.
From the outset, the Museum knew that it would need protected docks and undertook raising money to build the impressive dock system and breakwater ('Phase 1' of the project). This first phase was developed and completed in 2016 at a cost of almost 2 million dollars.
In the meantime, the Museum continued to add to its collection and moved on to Phase 2, the development of a protected in-water exhibit gallery that would complement the existing indoor collection and ultimately become the centerpiece of the facility. These floating artifacts needed to be kept safe from the sun and elements in a beautiful display space. In 2017, the Museum accepted the exciting donation of Windswept lll, the 1935 52ft Ditchburn commissioned by the Billes family of Canadian Tire fame. This fine example of Canadian boat building quickly became the flagship of the Museum but would also need protection against the elements for proper display and programming.
In 2018, the Boathouse dream became a reality. By February, another $1.5 million had been raised and work started to build the second phase of the in-water exhibit space. Construction began in September 2018, and by spring 2019, the Museum had a protected backdrop for its in-water collection. Phase 2 was celebrated at the 6th Annual TIBM Boat Show held on July 13, 2019.
The design of the Boathouse is unique to Canada and was developed by an architect with deep roots in the islands, and a background in historic boathouses of the Thousand Islands region. He was inspired by several iconic boathouses from the Thousand Islands’ Gilded Age at the turn of the last century.
Phase 3, the last stage of the Boathouse, includes completion of the interior ceiling, wide arched openings on the sides and the delivery of electrical service onto the docks for lighting. The new structure will also feature interactive exhibits to enable audiences to experience and understand regional Canadian marine history. This phase will require a further investment of $1 million and is scheduled for completion this spring.
Once completed, the TIBM will have invested $4.5 million to create this stunning waterfront facility. Over 85% of these funds will have come through the generosity of private donors. The balance will have come from successful grant applications to the Thousand Islands 
Community Development Corporation, Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, and the Ontario Trillium Fund.
With the bricks and mortar development of the Boathouse almost complete, the Museum continues to depend on the sale of admission tickets, seasonal passes, and larger gifts to fund its many community programs and events. Please visit the TIBM website at www.tiboatmuseum.org to learn how you, too, can enjoy and support all that the Museum has to offer.
There’s something for everyone at the Thousand Islands Boat Museum – come join us on the waterfront and celebrate every season here at the TIBM.
This version of this article first appeared in the Spring Issue (Mar/Apr) 2020 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Antique & Classic Boats, Company Expansions, History, Lake Ontario
