AUGUST 7-12: THE RIDEAU CANAL

The Rideau Canal:  The next phase of our journey will be on the Rideau Canal.  The canal is about 126 miles and stretches from Ottawa to Kingston on Lake Ontario.  There are 44 locks in total.  Thirty two locks will raise us 274 feet and then the rest will lower us a 165 feet.  

"The Rideau Canal was conceived in the wake of the War of 1812.  The concept was to provide a secure water route for troops and supplies from Kingston to Montreal in the event of another war with the United States. 

 In 1826, Britain sent Lt. Colonel By of the Royal Engineers to supervise the building of the canal.  Thousands of Irish immigrants, French Canadians and Scottish stone masons were among the laborers who helped push the canal through the rough bush, swamps and rocky wilderness of Eastern Ontario.  

Opened in 1832, the Rideau Canal was one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century.  When the fear of war passed, the canal soon became a major artery for regional commerce.  This role continued for several decades but began to decline with the completion of the St. Lawrence canal system and the introduction of the railway and steamboats.  Today, the log rafts, barges and steamers have given way to pleasure boats."  Parks Canada

In a holding pattern above the dam while waiting to enter a lock.

Boats entering the lock.

Tying up to the lock wall.

All the locsk (except one) are still operated manually by Parks Canada staff.

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View from the top of the lock.

One of the quaint lock master's offices.

Parks Canada employs students in the summer to assist with the lock operations.  

We took our time slowly heading up the canal.  Some nights were spent docked above or below a lock in a rural setting.  Others were spent in the small towns along the route.  Smith Falls, pictured below, was one such small town that offered shops, restaurants and a museum dedicated to the building of the Rideau Canal.

Downtown Smith Falls

 Dining and drinking options!

 A mural dedicated to the famous Col. By who built the canal.

 Sections of the canal became quite narrow.

 But then opened up into large lakes.  We anchored just off Col. By Island where the Captain tried his hand at fishing.  He actually caught 3 fish but all were too small so were  returned to the lake.

 Not only boaters enjoy this lake.  We noted several sea planes.

The lake is dotted with small islands on which Canadians have built summer cottages.

August 12:  We traveled the great distance of 6 miles to the small town of Portland.  Tied up to the town dock and went on a walk about. Not much there at all so we stayed only one night.