Lavigne's Canvas Co. builds custom boat covers, bimini tops and enclosures, pontoon restorations, boat and auto upholstery, SeaDek flooring, awnings, canvas repairs and custom sewing for the Township of Nipissing, all from our shop at 102 Booth Rd in North Bay. Nipissing village is roughly 40 km away, south on Highway 11 to Callander and then west on Highway 654. Boaters from Alsace, Chapman's Landing, Commanda and the South Bay shore can trailer the boat to us for Proliner measuring, or ask about having it measured on site.
Nipissing village & the Township of Nipissing · Open in Google Maps ↗
Travel: Depending on how far you are from North Bay, a travel charge may apply for on-site measuring or installs. If it does, it's on your quote up front, before anything is booked.
The Township of Nipissing wraps around South Bay, the long southern arm of Lake Nipissing, in the north end of Parry Sound District. The South River comes down out of Algonquin country and finishes its run here, right past Nipissing village. Boats in this township tend to split two ways: pontoons and runabouts kept at a dock on the bay or the lower river, and smaller fishing boats that get trailered to McQuaby Lake or the Chapman's Landing launch for a few hours at a time.
Both kinds of boats wear out canvas in their own way. A boat on a lift by the bay bakes in the sun and catches every leaf and seed from the shoreline, so a fitted custom boat cover is usually the first thing people ask us about. Families with an older pontoon often go further and plan a full pontoon restoration, and fishing boats tend to need new seats and upholstery before anything else. Most township customers bring the boat up Highway 654 and Highway 11 on the trailer. If it lives in the water, call us and we will talk about measuring it where it sits.
Our family has run the shop on Booth Road since 1995. We measure each boat with a Prodim Proliner, cut the fabric on a CNC table, and save the digital pattern so a replacement down the road is simple. You get a 10-year warranty on select fabrics and a guarantee on our workmanship, and Financeit can spread the cost of a bigger job, on approved credit.
Every one of our eight services is open to people across the township, from the South Bay shoreline down to Commanda.
A pontoon suits sheltered South Bay, where a day out often means swimming and a slow cruise up the river. If the logs and motor still have life in them, we rebuild the seating, lay a new floor and make a new top, so the whole boat is done at once.
See pontoon restorations →
Boats left at a township dock collect pine needles, pollen and rain between weekends. We build snap-down mooring covers for that, plus winter storage covers with poles and vents for boats parked in a yard in Alsace or Commanda, each one shaped to your hull from Proliner measurements.
See custom boat covers →
There is not much shade out on South Bay on a bright July afternoon. A bimini gives you some, and a camper top or a full enclosure with clear windows keeps a cold spring morning or a late September evening comfortable. We set tops up to fold down tidy for trailering.
See bimini tops & boat enclosures →
Sun and lake water break down boat vinyl, and the seats usually go first: split helm chairs, sagging bench cushions, foam that stays wet. We recover them in marine vinyl. Rural roads and trails mean we also see plenty of truck, car, ATV and snowmobile seats from the township.
See boat & auto upholstery →
A small fishing boat gets bait, sand and wet boots on the floor every trip. SeaDek is a soft foam deck that does not soak up water and rinses off, and woven vinyl is a tough choice for a pontoon deck. A fish ruler or your boat name can be cut right in.
See seadek & marine flooring →
Many homes and cottages along South Bay face open water and take the full afternoon sun on the deck. We measure the space and build retractable patio awnings, window and entry awnings, and screen rooms, plus storefront awnings for a business on the highway.
See awnings →
A top or cover that is mostly sound does not need to be replaced over one bad zipper. Bring the canvas in by itself and we can put in new zippers, snaps or clear windows and restitch tired seams, and we will be honest if the material is past saving.
See canvas repair →
Out here a lot of gear lives outside: utility trailers, snowmobiles, tractors and side-by-sides. We sew fitted equipment and trailer covers, UTV cabs and soft tops, snowmobile enclosures, heavy tarps and curtain walls for sheds, patterned to the item and cut on our CNC table.
See industrial & custom sewing →Three places in the Township of Nipissing that say a lot about how boats here are used and stored.
Once a family property, Chapman's Landing was donated to the municipality and is now a township boat launch, public dock and swimming spot at 186 Chapmans Landing Road, close to where the South River meets South Bay. Boats launched here head straight into open bay water and sun, so a solid top and a cover that snaps down quickly at the end of the day both earn their place.
The South River runs about 135 km from wetlands in Algonquin Park to South Bay, the arm of Lake Nipissing it is named for, and the Township of Nipissing is the last township it passes through. Its lower stretch is a slow, sheltered cruise for boaters off the bay. Boats kept on the river need mooring covers that handle shade, sap and falling leaves.
At Highway 654 and Beatty Street in Nipissing village, the museum opened in 1974 to mark 100 years of the Nipissing Road, and its grounds hold the provincial plaque for the Rosseau-Nipissing Road, which ended here at the South River. Before the railway bypassed it in 1886, the village was a busy port on the lake, and boats are still a big part of summer here.
Send photos of the boat, seats or canvas to info@lavignescanvas.ca, or call 705-410-6872, along with the make, length and where it is kept in the township. We usually get back to you the same business day.
Bring the boat to 102 Booth Rd and we measure it with the Proliner in the shop. If it is in the water at a dock on South Bay or the river, ask us whether on-site measuring can be arranged.
Once the job is done, pick it up at the shop between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, and we can fit new canvas to the boat before you head back down Highway 654. Your pattern is saved for next time.
“The crew at Lavigne's came together on a small but uniquely challenging project and produced the perfect Bimini frame, top and weather panels that really put this endeavor above any of its predecessors. Their attention to detail combined with quality material transform this ordinary sandbox into a modern mini yacht. Thank you so much for squeezing this into your incredibly busy schedules and surpassing all expectations.”
“These guys are fantastic. They just finished a custom travel cover for my boat and I couldn’t be happier. I am happy with the price given it is a premium product. What I really appreciated was the service, the team from the office to the shop was fantastic to deal with, was done on time and were very accommodating to exactly what I wanted. Will be back with another project no question. Highly recommended”
“Amazing quality and amazing service! The canvas turned out better than I could’ve imagined. You can tell they put a lot of care into their work. Highly recommend Lavigne’s Canvas!”
“Great craftsmanship and excellent service. Drove from Sudbury because I knew it was going to be done right.”
“Had a complete cover replaced on my four Winns bow rider. Pat Junior and Pat Senior were amazing to deal with and absolute gentlemen. They stayed within their quote, upgraded a few items and increased the headroom with the top on the boat. When I arrived to pick up the boat the pride and quality in their workmanship is obvious. I could not be happier with the final product and would recommend this company to anyone that asks.”
“I had Lavignes canvas make me a snap on boat cover for a 16’ side console boat. Pat was very professional and happily took the time to answer my many questions, over various inquiries. I came from Sudbury after the local shop started getting annoyed after I’d asked just a few questions, and I’m happy I did. The final product is great and so was the customer service. I highly recommend them.”
“We needed a top for our pontoon boat. I called 5 shops. Lavignes was the only shop who answered the phone and easily gave me a rough estimate without seeing the boat that was bang on! They stayed on time, on budget, did a beautiful job and we’re great to work with.”
“We are thrilled with our new pontoon boat enclosure and seat covers! From beginning to end our experience was amazing! Kristy was so helpful suggesting colours, and the workmanship on the seats and enclosure is first rate—not to mention how quick they completed our project!”
“We recently chose Lavigne's Canvas to make new covers for our 2011 Larson fish & ski boat. They did an amazing job with the covers! The level of service, friendliness, and communication was unmatched from the time we scheduled our appointment to the time the work was completed.”
“My Tracker boat cover was a mess after winter snow damage, plus several wear spots and holes. The service was performed great, matching existing canvas colour. Had it fixed very fast with quality work. Saved me $800 for a new cover!”
“In 2022 I had a new boat camper top and new woven vinyl rug installed in my 2005 Doral bow rider. The quality of the workmanship is excellent and this spring the flooring and top still look new.”
Most people trailer it. From the village, take Highway 654 east to Callander, then Highway 11 north into North Bay. Our shop at 102 Booth Rd is roughly 40 km from Nipissing village. Send us photos before you come so we can plan the job, and in many cases a single visit covers the measuring.
Sometimes. Covers, biminis and enclosures can often be measured with the boat in the water, as long as we can move around it safely. On-site measuring is arranged case by case, so call with the location and what you need. Seat and floor jobs usually go better at the shop, where we have the boat on its trailer.
Yes. We build fitted covers for aluminum fishing boats as well as bowriders, pontoons and larger boats. A trailerable travel cover that straps down is a good choice for a boat that moves between lakes, and a mooring cover suits one that sits at a dock. We measure the hull with the Proliner either way.
Yes. We make retractable deck and patio awnings, fixed awnings over windows and doors, and screen rooms for homes and cottages. We come out to measure the building, since every deck and wall is different, and we talk through fabric colour and projection before anything is built.
We do. Custom sewing covers more than boats: fitted covers for utility and boat trailers, tractors and other equipment, snowmobile enclosures, UTV cabs and heavy tarps. Send a few photos and rough measurements and we will quote the piece before we start. Once it is patterned, a replacement is easy to make later.
Tell us what you run and where it is kept in the township. We will quote the job and plan measuring at the shop, or talk about on-site options.