I've always found canoes to be very stable. I've been a canoeist since I was about eleven, and have never swamped a canoe unintentionally. When I taught canoeing during vacations from college, I'd roll my canoe when the weather was hot, and have the campers rescue me.
We went canoeing two weeks ago, and our freinds swamped their canoe the moment they left the shore. I'm not sure how they did that - I've always had to put my feet on the gunwale on one side, and my hands on the opposite gunwale, and then roll the canoe.
Janie - I bought the kayaks at REI - they said I have to contact Old Town directly to get footrests. I admit they were inexpensive, but I thought they'd be OK because I've had such good luck with Old Town canoes. My first Old Town was an antique, made of wood and canvas - actually, it belonged to the camp. It weighed a ton, but it was a lovely canoe when it was in the water.
-Joe-