Swift Canoe & Kayak’s Gravenhurst store is more than a shop — it’s the head office and year-round flagship of one of Canada’s most respected paddling brands. Set on Highway 11 North, the store (known locally as Swift Muskoka) stocks the company’s full line of Canadian-made canoes, kayaks and pack boats, from the beloved Keewaydin 16 to the feather-light Cruiser pack boats, alongside paddleboards, pedal-drive kayaks, paddles, PFDs and roof-rack gear.
The Swift name carries real heritage. The family has served paddlers for over fifty years through Algonquin Outfitters, and brothers Rich and Bill Swift Jr. founded the Swift Canoe Company in 1984. Every boat is designed and built in Canada at the company’s factory in South River, a short drive north, where signature touches like the fused Carbon Kevlar Trim shave pounds off each hull. Many designs are field-tested in Algonquin Outfitters’ thousand-boat rental fleet before they ever reach a showroom floor, and the Kipawa — designed in the early nineties specifically for Algonquin Park tripping — is still in production.
Through the company’s Build & Price program, paddlers can order a custom boat and pick it up right here at the Muskoka headquarters. Reviewers rave about the staff’s knowledge and the workmanship — “the first one lasted 30 years” is the kind of line that keeps appearing. People who know, paddle Swift.