Lavigne's Canvas Co. builds boat covers, bimini tops and enclosures, marine upholstery, SeaDek flooring, awnings and canvas repairs for boaters, cottagers and camps in the Municipality of Temagami. The shop is at 102 Booth Rd in North Bay, about 97 km south of town down Highway 11. You can trailer the boat to the shop to be measured with our Prodim Proliner, or ask about having us measure on site at a landing or dock. Every pattern is cut on a CNC table, kept on file, and quoted before work starts.
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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.
Boating on Lake Temagami is different from most cottage lakes in Ontario. Cottages and lodges sit out on the islands, so the boat is the driveway. It hauls groceries, propane, guests and dogs from the town docks or the Lake Temagami Access Road landing, often in wind and rain on open water. That kind of daily use is hard on tops and enclosures, seats and covers.
Winters are long up here, and a boat left at an island cottage or a camp can sit under heavy snow for months with nobody around to brush it off. A custom boat cover measured to your hull, with support poles and vents, is built to carry that load and shed meltwater instead of sagging and tearing.
Lavigne's has been sewing marine canvas on Booth Road in North Bay since 1995. Temagami customers usually bring the boat down on the trailer at the start or end of the season, or send photos first so we can talk through what the boat needs before anyone makes the drive. Worn pieces can come in on their own for canvas repair.
All eight services are open to Temagami customers, whether the boat lives at a cottage dock, a camp waterfront or on a trailer in town.
Pontoons make sense on Lake Temagami for moving family, gear and supplies out to an island. When the seats are cracked and the carpet holds water but the tubes and motor are fine, we can redo the seating, floor and canvas in one shop on one timeline.
See pontoon restorations →
A cottage boat on Lake Temagami may sit through a whole winter with no one checking on it. We build winter covers with poles and vents that carry snow, plus mooring covers that snap on at the dock to keep out rain, pine needles and birds between trips.
See custom boat covers →
Long runs across the lake to an island can mean wind, spray and sudden rain. A bimini gives shade on calm days, while a camper top or full enclosure with clear windows keeps passengers and cargo dry on the way back from town.
See bimini tops & boat enclosures →
Seats on a working cottage boat get wet gear, wet dogs and wet swimmers all summer. We recover helm chairs, benches and bow cushions in marine-grade vinyl, with new foam when the old foam has soaked up water. Truck and snowmobile seats are welcome too.
See boat & auto upholstery →
Carpet on a boat that carries firewood, coolers and muddy boots out to camp rarely stays nice for long. SeaDek and woven vinyl are easy to rinse, dry faster, and are cut to fit around your hatches, cleats and seat bases.
See seadek & marine flooring →
For an island cottage, a retractable deck awning or a screen room can make the porch usable through bug season and afternoon sun. Each awning is measured for the building and made from fabrics that hold their colour through northern summers.
See awnings →
A broken zipper or a cloudy window does not mean the whole top is finished. Bring the canvas down on its own and we will replace zippers, snaps and clear vinyl, patch tears and re-stitch seams, and tell you straight if the fabric is past saving.
See canvas repair →
Camps and lodges around Temagami have gear that boat shops do not touch: equipment and trailer covers, tarps, curtain walls, UTV cabs and snowmobile enclosures. Send photos and measurements, and each custom piece is patterned and quoted before work starts.
See industrial & custom sewing →A few spots in and around Temagami where boats, docks and cottages see the most wear.
Lake Temagami covers roughly 210 square kilometres and holds more than 1,200 islands, with long arms reaching north, northeast and southwest. The town sits at the end of the Northeast Arm. Cottages and resorts on the lake are on the islands, so nearly every owner relies on a boat, and that boat needs a cover, a top and seats that can take it.
Finlayson Point sits on the north shore of Lake Temagami, about a kilometre south of town off Highway 11. Ontario Parks runs a campground there with a boat launch and a boat basin with docking. Boats launched here for the season or a week of camping benefit from mooring covers and solid tops.
The 100-foot steel fire tower stands on Caribou Mountain inside the town limits and was put up in 1951. From the top you can see the town and the Northeast Arm, the same water where boats head out toward the island cottages every summer weekend.
Text or email pictures of the boat, the old canvas or the worn seats, plus the make, model and length. That lets us talk through options and a rough plan before you make the hour-long drive down.
Trailer the boat to Booth Road and we measure it with the Proliner while you wait, or ask about on-site measuring when the boat is at a landing or dock. Patterns stay on file for next time.
Finished canvas and upholstery can be picked up at the shop on your way back north, or fitted on the boat. Covers and tops come with a workmanship guarantee, and select fabrics carry a 10-year warranty.
“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.”
Yes. The easiest way is to bring the boat to the North Bay shop on a trailer at the start or end of the season so we can measure it with the Proliner. If the boat can't leave the lake, call us and we'll talk through whether on-site measuring at a landing or dock will work for it.
For a boat stored outside through a long northern winter, a fitted winter cover with support poles and vents works best. The poles carry the snow load and the shape lets meltwater run off rather than pooling. It's sewn from heavy marine fabric and measured to your hull, so it doesn't loosen and flap in the wind.
Not usually. Many Temagami customers send photos first, then bring the boat down once for measuring and come back to pick up the finished work. Smaller jobs like repairs or a set of cushions can come in on their own, and your pattern stays on file, so a future replacement doesn't need another full measure.
Yes. Camps and lodges often have a few boats, docks and buildings that need covers, tops, seat repairs or awnings. Send a list with photos of each item, and we'll quote every piece before work starts. Patterns are kept on file, so matching replacements are simpler down the road.
Yes. Financing is offered through Financeit, on approved credit, for bigger jobs like a pontoon restoration, a full enclosure or new seating. It works the same whether you live in town, own an island cottage or come up for the summer. Ask when you get your quote and we'll explain how to apply.
Send a few photos of the boat or the canvas and tell us what's worn. We'll get back to you with next steps and a quote.