Paddle Away

A uniquely Canadian artistry project that involves hand-painted paddles inspired by two bodies of water in British Columbia—the Bowron Lake and the Mackenzie River—surfaced over the summer, and it’s not too late to row away merrily with one (or a pair) of your own. Paddle designer and founder of Norquay Co. Natasha Wittke partnered with eBay.ca to exclusively offer cheerful cherry-wood paddles ($350 apiece) that tell the stories behind her local canoe trips, with all proceeds benefiting the Canadian Canoe Foundation. Our chat with Wittke reveals more about the inspiration behind her art—and her favourite way to immerse herself in her work. —Noa Nichol

Hi Natasha! To start, tell us a bit about yourself and your work.

My career background and current job is in advertising and design, but canoeing and the great outdoors have always been another passion of mine. I launched Norquay in 2013 because I really needed a way to express my passion for loving and embracing all that nature has to offer. I’m originally from Sudbury, Ontario, where I grew up around so many lakes and was lucky enough to take some pretty epic canoe trips from a young age. The most notable one I took was a 600-kilometre 30-day trip along the Missinaibi River. So, my greatest inspiration is nature, but my work is also a reflection of my deep appreciation for colour and balance with a focus on symmetry. I create designs for the shape of the paddle, each one thoughtfully considered.

Last time we wrote about you it was 2014; what has changed, paddle-wise, since then?

I’m all about consistency when it comes to my products and quality. I work exclusively with solid cherry wood because of the natural fluidity of the wood grain and how its rawness complements the geometric structure of my designs. I’ve launched a number of limited editions to play with more contemporary designs and broaden our offering.

How important is it to you to include Canadian materials in your work?

Yes. It’s extremely important that our products are made here in Canada from Canadian materials. It allows us to support local, while honouring and leveraging the great talent that exists in our country. That, and I truly believe that Canadians deserve the choice to buy Canadian products, something that seems harder and harder to do.

Tell us about the B.C. aquatic inspo behind this latest collection, how the lakes informed each of the three designs and what these bodies of water mean to you personally?

Each design and colour structure reflects the natural surroundings of each body of water. The paddle named Bowron is inspired by the earthy tones of the western slopes of the Cariboo Mountain and the lake’s canoe system. The paddle named Mackenzie derives from the giant rock outcrops and deep blue waters found along this long river. Creatively, this was such a fun project to work on. I’ve been fortunate to travel and paddle many routes across Canada. The ones we’ve featured and named our paddles after are my bucket-list destinations.

Thoughts around proceeds going to the CCF?

It’s an absolutely incredible organization. We are honoured to support their environmental initiatives and youth education through this collaboration. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to help youth discover and build a relationship with nature, and I’m proud to help the Canadian Canoe Federation accomplish that.

Personal question: when it comes to lake swimming, bathing suit or skinny dipping?!

Easy. Skinny dipping, hands down.

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