Bob Moffatt’s Birch Bark Hat

Object Details

Accession Number 2023.10
Date Created

ca. 2010

Dimensions

Height: 12.300cm
Length: 44.300cm
Width: 37.300cm

Materials & Medium Wood/Twine
Museum Location

Museum of Atikokan:Artifact Room:N-3

Scope and Content

Birch bark hat made by Mike Ranta for Bob Moffatt.

The top of the hat is flat-crowned with a wide brim. The front of the brim curls up to the crown. The hat was handmade by Mike Ranta. It consists of birch bark and twine to sew the pieces together. The edges of the brim and crown are coated with a black substance.

On the inside of the crown, hand written in black marker is “Mike Ranta & Spitzii”. The inside edge is lined with a brown cloth.

Historical Context

Historical Significance

ROBERT (BOB) MOFFATT
Bob was born August 17, 1928 in LaRiviere, MB. He came to Atikokan on September 14, 1944, when he was 16 years old where he worked as a general labourer, driving the hydraulic service truck and then operating a Caterpillar out on the mud flats. In 1949, he started his first business in 1949, Bob’s Taxi. Bob’s Taxi also became the first ambulance service in Atikokan. This company ran until 1960. After the success of Bob’s Taxi, he opened Moffatt’s Service Station and Moffatt’s Husky Service that was active from 1952 to 1960. Then he was approached to be the local specialty steel distributor which led to the formation of Bob Moffatt Supply Limited. The company grew to seven branch offices across Canada. It was active from 1954 to 2013. In his spare time, he was a member of the Masonic Lodge, a Lifetime Meritorious Member of the Royal Canadian Legion and Canadian Institute of Mining, Charter member of the Atikokan Kiwanis Club, a Charter president of the Atikokan Conservation Club. He also professionally and personally sponsored hockey and baseball teams, and bursaries to graduating students of Atikokan High School. He died April 12, 2021.

MIKE RANTA
Mike Ranta is a graduate of Atikokan High School and the Outers Program. He was the first person to cross North America solo by canoe in single season, 2014. This trip won the Canoe Kayak magazine Expedition of the Year award. He believes this first trip from Vancouver to Nova Scotia broke a world record. Ranta is also the first person to make this journey twice, 2016. Mike paddled a Souris River Canoe with an XY Company paddle, both made in Atikokan. Spitzii his pure-bred Finnish Spitz, joined Ranta on all his paddles.

Provenance & Acquisition

Gift

Photography Credits

Digital copy of a photograph of Mike Ranta, Bob Moffatt, and Bobby Davidson when Ranta gave Moffatt the birch bark hat is saved under “Media” in catalogue record. The photograph was taken August 12, 2015.