|
Rideau Canal (or Waterway), 202 km long, links the OTTAWA RIVER at Ottawa with LAKE ONTARIO at Kingston. Conceived as the major component of an alternative route for military purposes between Montréal and Kingston, the Rideau Canal was first proposed as the WAR OF 1812 drew to its close. Construction started (1826) according to the design, and under the direction, of Lieutenant-Colonel John BY. About 50 dams were necessary to control the water levels at rapids on the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers. The 46 (originally 49) locks in use raise vessels 83 m from the Ottawa River to the portage channel at Newboro, whence vessels descend 50 m to Lake Ontario at Kingston.
The construction of the Rideau Canal - built in virgin forest with all work being done by hand - caused great hardship to its Irish labourers, many of whom died of malaria. Finished in 1832 after 5 summer working seasons, with up to 2000 men being employed by the Royal Engineers and appointed contractors, the canal ranks among the greatest early civil-engineering works of North America. Lieutenant-Colonel By located his headquarters at the junction of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers and started a small settlement, first named Bytown in his honour but renamed OTTAWA in 1855. Although it carried freight and passengers in small steamboats for a century, the Rideau Canal was never economically viable, and is now used entirely by pleasure craft. Most of the original locks and canal cuts are still in use, and, except for 3 hydraulic locks, all are still operated by the muscle power of lock staff cranking the distinctive "crab" winches. Its stone walls, ponds and bridges have preserved a quiet beauty along its course through the city of Ottawa, and in the wintertime it provides one of the world's most famous skating rinks. In 1926, 100 years after the beginning of the canal's construction, it was designated a national historic site. In 2000 it became part of the CANADIAN HERITAGE RIVERS SYSTEM. The Rideau Canal was designated as a UNITED NATIONS WORLD HERITAGE SITE in 2007.
Rideau CanalWith the Parliament Buildings in the background, Ottawa (Corel Professional Photos).
By, JohnColonel By was one of Canada's greatest early engineers, building the Rideau Canal in only five summers (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-28531).
Locks on the Rideau CanalThe Rideau Canal, built to join the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario at Kingston, was one of the largest engineering projects in early Canada (watercolour by W.H. Bartlett, courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-367).
Upper Canada, Map
Author
R.F. LEGGET Revised: MAXWELL W. FINKELSTEIN
Links to Other Sites
Ottawa
The official website for the City of Ottawa. Features an extensive directory of local tourist attractions and events.
Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada
The website for the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada,the oldest operating 19th-century canal in North America. From Parks Canada.
John By
A profile of Colonel John By, the engineer who built the Rideau Canal, from Library and Archives Canada.
Rideau Canal
The UNESCO website offers a detailed history of the Rideau Canal, a World Heritage site. Check the "Documents" section for more information.
Glossary: Rideau Lockstations
A glossary of terms commonly used in reference to the history of the Rideau Lockstations. From the website Rideau-info.com.
United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
The website for the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Check out the many historic communities in this Eastern Ontario region.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Time waits for no man… and neither do trains... |
|
| Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ... |
|
|
| The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ... |
|
|
| Sir John Alexander Macdonald, lawyer, businessman, politician, first prime minister of Canada (b at Brunswick Place, ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ... |
|
|
| Créditistes, Québec party involved in federal politics. For nearly 2 decades before its 1958 formation ... |
|
|
| Julia Verlyn LaMarsh, "Judy," lawyer, politician, broadcaster, novelist (b at Chatham, Ont 20 Dec 1924; d at ... |
|
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA |
|
| Pépin, (Jean Joseph) Clermont. Composer, pianist, teacher, administrator, b St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que, 15 May 1926, d Montreal 2 Sep 2006; Artist Diploma piano, composition (Curtis) 1944, Artist Diploma (RCM) 1949; MA ... |
|
|