My paddle clean and bright, Flashing with silver. Follow the wild goose flight, Dip, dip and swing. This is the familiar refrain of an old canoeing song, and what better than the canoe to stand for everything Canadian? The canoe has slipped quietly into the stream of the nation’s common parlance. Whether you’re practicing your J-Stroke out on the lake, rooting for your favourite professional soccer team in the national Voyageurs Cup, or simply standing at the corner of Portage and Main in Winnipeg, you are reflecting a bit of Canadian canoeing history.