LEARNING SOMETHING NEW IN CANADA

WHO KNEW?

I ate at the "CANTHOOKS RESTAURANT" for several days when I was in Canada recently leading a priest retreat.
I recognized that tool on the sign immediately, but I learned something new. 




Do you see that letter "h" in the word "canthooks?" It is shaped like a "canthook." In Canada, a "canthook" is an instrument used to roll logs.
It has a long wooden handle with a swinging metal hook at the bottom.

I recognized this tool from my childhood days. My grandfather, father and brother have all had experience as loggers. I was too young to use one when I was a child playing around the sawmill, but not too young to fetch one when asked by my granddad, father or an older worker.

The problem is that we called them "canehooks." It was probably a slur of the word "canthooks."
Accoring to the local priests, a "cant" is a log that has had the slabs cut off of two sides. When it needs to be turned to cut the other two slabs off to make a square, a "canthook" is required to turn the log. A "canthook" is also  used for rolling logs onto a truck or simply to roll them into another location.

I also heard about another tool related to a "canthook," called a "peavey." 
A canthook (A) is used for rolling. A peavey (B), with a sharp tip,  is used for prying and rolling. 



WHO KNEW?









Historical photos in our hotel of Canadian loggers with their canthooks and peavies in Calabogie, Ontario