William Duffield
I can't seem to get my head around using dovetail joinery for panel construction. Dovetails are for case construction (boxes, boxes-in-boxes, ad infinitum). For panels, you should be using mortise and tenon joinery (or maybe plywood) .

Your maple nomenclature is also incorrect. Hard maple is sugar maple is rock maple is Acer saccharum. Soft maples include silver maple A. saccharinum; red maple A. rubrum, big leaf maple A. macrophyllum, Japanese red maple A. palmatum, box elder A. negrundo, and many others. I think most woodworkers prefer rock maple for joinery vs. the soft maples, but prefer soft maples for workability and aesthetics (figure).

You would do well to get that straightened out if you want them to let you into Canada, or even Vermont. Note, however, that I don't have the energy today to discuss the nomenclatural subtleties of water maple, swamp maple, or planetree.