Nothing wrong with using pine for strips. Plenty of people have done that. It will just add a little weight and make sanding a little more difficult.
If you search the canoe building forum on this site you'll find a lot of in-depth threads that show the strip building process step by step.
Northwest canoe has some nice designs that are only $5 and available for download after purchase.
Whether you like to Do It Yourself or prefer professionals do the work, WE ARE HERE TO HELP?
northwestcanoe.com
Alan