Final answer:
Yes, the canoeist will make headway against a river current of 6.1 m/s, since he can paddle at 6.2 m/s, resulting in a velocity of 0.1 m/s upstream relative to the shore.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a canoeist paddles upstream in a river flowing downstream with a certain velocity, the resulting velocity of the canoe relative to the shore will depend on both the velocity of the canoe and the velocity of the river. In this scenario, the river's velocity is 6.1 m/s, and the canoeist can paddle at 6.2 m/s. Since the canoeist's paddling speed is slightly greater than the river's current, the canoeist will make headway against the current.
The canoeist's velocity relative to the shore will be the difference between the paddling speed and the river's speed because the canoeist is moving in the opposite direction to the river's current. Thus, the velocity of the canoeist relative to the shore is 0.1 m/s upstream.