Lavigne's Canvas Co. makes boat covers, bimini tops and enclosures, pontoon restorations, boat and auto upholstery, SeaDek flooring, awnings, canvas repair and custom sewing for West Nipissing from its shop at 102 Booth Rd in North Bay. Boaters and cottagers in Sturgeon Falls, Verner, Field, Cache Bay and Lavigne are about 37 km from the shop, straight along Highway 17. You can trailer the boat to Booth Road for measuring, or have the boat measured where it sits with a Prodim Proliner and the finished work installed on site.
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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.
West Nipissing sits on the west end of Lake Nipissing, where the Sturgeon River comes down past Sturgeon Falls and opens onto the lake. A lot of boats here live on a lift at the cottage, at a slip in Minnehaha Bay or on a trailer in the driveway in Verner or Field, and they see hard sun all summer and heavy snow all winter. That is the kind of use we build for at our shop on Booth Road.
Most West Nipissing jobs start with a custom boat cover or a new bimini top or enclosure, and plenty of families bring in a tired pontoon for a full restoration. Because the drive is one straight run on Highway 17, it is easy to drop a boat off at the shop. If it is easier for us to come to you, we can measure at your dock with the Proliner and come back to install.
Every pattern we make is kept on file, so the next cover or top for the same boat does not start from scratch. Select fabrics carry a 10-year warranty, our workmanship is guaranteed, and bigger jobs can be paid over time through Financeit, on approved credit.
All eight of our services are available to West Nipissing customers, whether you bring the boat in or we come out to you.
Pontoons are everywhere on the Sturgeon River and the west end of the lake. If the tubes and deck on yours are still solid, we can redo the seating, swap the carpet for woven vinyl or SeaDek, and add a new top, all planned together in one shop so the boat comes back finished.
See pontoon restorations →
A Sturgeon Falls winter puts real weight on a cover. We measure your hull with the Proliner and build winter covers with support poles and vents, plus mooring covers that snap on at the cottage dock or a marina slip to keep rain, leaves and birds out between trips.
See custom boat covers →
A bimini keeps the sun off on a long run up the river, and a camper top or full enclosure lets you stay out into the fall. We build tops that fold down cleanly, which helps if you head through the low bridges on the West Arm.
See bimini tops & boat enclosures →
Cracked helm seats and flattened bow cushions are common after a few seasons in full sun on the lake. We recover or rebuild boat seating in marine vinyl, and we also do car and truck seats plus snowmobile and ATV seats for the trails around Verner and Field.
See boat & auto upholstery →
Wet feet, fishing gear and sand off the beach are hard on old carpet. SeaDek gives you a soft, non-skid floor that does not hold water, and woven vinyl suits most pontoon decks. We can cut in a fish ruler for the walleye crowd or your boat name on the swim platform.
See seadek & marine flooring →
Cottages and homes along the Lake Nipissing shoreline get strong afternoon sun off the water. We measure on site and install retractable deck awnings, window awnings and entry awnings, and we can make storefront awnings for businesses in downtown Sturgeon Falls.
See awnings →
Not every worn top needs replacing. We fix broken zippers, pulled snaps, split seams and cloudy windows on tops, covers and enclosures from around West Nipissing, and we will tell you plainly if the fabric is too far gone for a repair to be worth your money.
See canvas repair →
Plenty of West Nipissing properties have more than a boat to protect. We sew UTV and side-by-side cabs, snowmobile enclosures, trailer and equipment covers, curtain walls and custom tarps, patterned to the machine or space and cut on our CNC table.
See industrial & custom sewing →A few of the places West Nipissing boats spend their time, and what they ask of canvas and upholstery.
At about 873 square kilometres, Lake Nipissing is the third-largest lake entirely within Ontario, and it drains west through the French River to Georgian Bay. It averages only about 4.5 metres deep, with plenty of sandbars. Open water that size means wind, spray and long days in the sun, so tops need to stay tight and covers need to stay put.
The Sturgeon River runs roughly 230 km and empties into the north shore of Lake Nipissing just south of Sturgeon Falls. Its lower stretch is wide and lined with cottages, resorts and homes, and cruising boats can travel up as far as Minnehaha Bay. Boats tied up along the river need mooring covers that handle rain, pollen and falling leaves.
The Municipality of West Nipissing runs this marina at 300 King Street, steps from downtown Sturgeon Falls, with seasonal slips, shore power, a launch, fuel and pump-out. A boat sitting in a slip all season is exposed day and night, which is where a snap-on mooring cover and a solid bimini earn their keep.
Call 705-410-6872 or email info@lavignescanvas.ca with photos of the boat, seats or canvas and where it is kept in West Nipissing. We usually reply the same business day with next steps.
Trailer the boat to 102 Booth Rd, or we bring the Proliner to your dock, slip or driveway and measure it there. The digital pattern is cut on our CNC table and kept on file.
When the work is done, pick it up on Booth Road during shop hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, or we come back out to West Nipissing to fit it on the boat.
“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. We do mobile measuring and installs across the region, including Sturgeon Falls, Verner, Field, Cache Bay and Lavigne. We bring the Proliner to your dock, slip or driveway and take the digital measurements there. If you would rather drive in, the shop is about 37 km east on Highway 17 at 102 Booth Rd in North Bay.
Often, yes. Measuring for a mooring cover, bimini or enclosure can usually be done with the boat in the water, as long as we can safely get around it. Seat and floor work is easier at the shop, so for those jobs we may ask you to trailer the boat to Booth Road. Call us and we will sort out what makes sense.
We can build a bimini or camper top that folds down cleanly, so it can be lowered for low bridges and for trailering. Tell us where you boat and how often you need to drop the top, and we will set up the frame and fittings to suit. Clearance depends on your boat, so always check before you go under.
For most people it is a single trip on Highway 17, about 37 km. Every cover and top we make is measured with a Prodim Proliner, cut on a CNC table and sewn in our shop, and the pattern stays on file. That means a close fit now and an easier replacement later, without you having to bring the boat back.
Yes. Along with boats, we recover snowmobile, ATV and motorcycle seats, and we sew UTV and side-by-side cabs, doors and soft tops, plus snowmobile enclosures and trailer covers. Bring the machine to the shop, or send photos and measurements first and we will quote the job before any work starts.
Tell us about your boat and where it lives in West Nipissing. We will quote the job and set up measuring at the shop or at your dock.