Saturday, February 9, 2019

We used to make things in this country # 299; Magnesium snowshoes by Magline of Canada




Designed by Douglas TĂȘtu in 1950 and developed and manufactured by the company Magline of Arnprior, Ontario, these magnesium framed and steel cable webbed snowshoes became the standard snowshoes of militaries all over the world. The magnesium came from mines near Renfrew, Ontario and the threading was done by various subcontractors, including natives on nearly reserves. The webbing was designed for Magline by Mary Commanda, an Algonkian Indian from the Golden Lake reserve who based her pattern on the traditional designs of the Algonkians. 
 This set of unknown age was manufactured by Northland Tire of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
This 1982 link mentions that Magline of Canada got a contract to supply the US army with snowshoes, however, a google search doesn't find the company around today.

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