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Traditional kayaking museum debuts in The Wreckage of B.C.’s wild West Coast

Manke at the Wreckage celebrating the building and use of traditional kayaks in Ucluelet
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James Manke has been “overwhelmed” by the local support he’s received since rolling new life into the town’s iconic The Wreckage building with a brand new kayak museum. (Andrew Bailey photo)

A noted Canadian traditional kayaker is dipping his paddle into a new attraction alongside some of the country’s most celebrated waters.

James Manke has officially opened what he believes is Canada’s first dedicated traditional kayak museum inside ‘The Wreckage building’ a cherished heritage icon of Vancouver Island’s Pacific Rim.

Located in Ucluelet, The Wreckage’s visibly quirky exterior and Evelyn Mae vessel perched next to it is a popular photo spot for tourists and passersby, but the building has sat empty for the past few years waiting for a new vision to revitalize its locally hallowed walls.

“Since

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Andrew Bailey

About the Author: Andrew Bailey

I arrived at the Westerly News as a reporter and photographer in January 2012.
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