Exploring the Rideau Canal in Canada
In 2005 we visited Canada on a whistle stop train tour (pun not intended) taking in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Niagara Falls. At Ottawa we did the usual city tour and a short boat trip on the Ottawa River where we saw for the very first time, the magnificent 8 lock flight of the Rideau Canal.
�
106510711081
Clicking on the photos above will take you to a larger version. Further photos can be seen by clicking the Rideau Canal link from the WPG2 Gallery, located to the top of this web page.
Just 3 years later, with fellow Wilderness boat owners John and Carol Burbery, we set out to revisit the Rideau Canal, regretfully not with our own boats though, and explore the waterway from Ottawa to Kingston.
The construction of this canal is an astonishing story by a man who I had never even heard of until our visit, he was Lieutenant Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, his achievements have only relatively recently been fully realised. In addition to the design, planning and construction of 47 locks there were 4 huge Blockhouses and 52 Dams. The one at Jones Falls was the second highest in the world at the time and he completed the entire 125 mile long canal in just 5 year in 1832.
In 2007 the Rideau Canal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizing it as a ‘work of human creative genius.’
For further infomation please follow these links:
Rideau Canal Information
Friends of the Rideau Canal
Bernard Snell
