I have an Old Town wood and canvas canoe that is about 60 years old.

My father replaced a rib and section of plank and re-canvassed it when I was a teenager in the late 60's after my brother and I ran into an underwater timber and put a hole in the hull The canvas is still in great shape except for a couple of spots.

There's something to be said for the old way of doing things. From what I've read, though, today's re-canvassing might not be as durable now that mold-inhibiting white lead no longer is used in the canvas filler. However you cover it, a wood canoe will last much longer if it is stored dry and out of the sun and weather.

The two websites that Jeff Horton mentions are very good ( Kettle River Canoes and Wooden Canoe Heritage Association). I also recommend: "The wood & canvas canoe: a complete guide to its history, construction, restoration, and maintenance" by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow and "Building the Maine guide canoe", also by Jerry Stelmok. Both books were available through my local library network. Youtube has a number of videos that are helpful.