A lamination will still have some flex, not as much as a solid piece, but still some flex.
From an application PoV, it would really depend on the canoe, something straight like a Freedom 17 would likely be fine, but a prospector would likely require bending (likely steam) before lamination.
I suspect if you pursue the idea, that the lamination should be done off the boat and then applied. My reasoning is that no matter how hard you try, a lamination will require cleanup of strips that slip and move out of alignment. That sort of cleanup would be a chore if the gunnel where already installed.
The best approach may be to have a bending form made up for the lamination. This gets the right shape during the bending process and leaves the piece ready to be cleaned up.
A few thoughts.
Brian