What comes to mind when we think of the Rideau Canal? We know it is one of Ottawa’s most famous and world-renowned attractions; that it makes up the world’s longest skating rink each winter, and that it is a haven for pleasure boats and outdoor enthusiasts. It is enjoyed not only by those fortunate enough to navigate (or skate) directly on the canal, but by the thousands of people we see running, cycling, or leisurely strolling around it each day. What most people don’t realize, even as they bask in the canal’s breathtaking sights and sounds, is that there is a rich and fascinating history behind this beloved landmark. In honor of this year’s theme, Connecting with Heritage, the 2009 Rideau Canal Festival plans to shed a very special light on the canal’s heritage through a host of fun and educational activities, including the Rideau Canal Connection Project.

History of the Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. It first opened for navigation in 1832. The canal was built as protection against American aggression, following the War of 1812. Canada needed to protect its St. Lawrence River route and believed the Rideau Canal system would ably create safe passage and stave off persistent threats of attack by the United States on the British colony of Upper Canada. The Canal’s construction was championed by the Duke of Wellington and supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers. To begin work, in 1826 he set up headquarters near the mouth of the Rideau River in a settlement then known as Bytown and later renamed Ottawa. The majority of the construction work that began in 1827, was carried out by thousands of Irish and French-Canadian labourers. During construction, thousands of the workers died from malaria, other diseases and construction accidents. The Rideau Canal was officially opened in the summer of 1832. It is 202 km in length, and, at the time, passed through an unsettled wilderness. The creation of its 47 locks posed a great engineering challenge but foresight and vision on the part of Colonel By, resulted in a design that involved a complex series of dams and associated locks that would let boats travel without impediment from Bytown to Kingston. An amazing feat for its time!

Later …

Because the Rideau Canal was easier to navigate than the St. Lawrence River due to its dangerous rapids, the Rideau Canal became a busy commercial artery from Montreal to the Great Lakes. However, in 1849, the creation of locks tamed the St. Lawrence and commercial shippers favoured the St. Lawrence’s more direct route, using it much more often than the Rideau Canal. Although not as busy as the St. Lawrence, the Rideau Canal still remained an important local transportation system, even expanding when the Tay Canal was completed in 1887, connecting the town of Perth with the main Rideau system. After World War 1, however, commercial traffic disappeared almost entirely from the Rideau Canal and it no longer served any military, commercial or transportation purposes. The Canadian Pacific Railway announced plans to close part of the Canal and replace it with railway tracks. Swift action by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce (then known as the Board of Trade) saved it from its ultimate demise, believing strongly in the Canal’s historic value and tourism potential.

Today …

Today, the Rideau Canal is one of Ottawa’s most historic and famous attractions. The 202 kilometres of the Rideau Canal include sections of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers as well as lakes, including the Lower, Upper and Big Rideau lakes. About 19 km of the route is man-made. These days, the Rideau Canal is a haven for pleasure boats, used mainly for recreation. Boat tours are offered in Ottawa, Merrickville and at Chaffeys Lock. Most of the locks are still hand-operated. In winter, a section of the Rideau Canal passing through Ottawa’s downtown becomes the world’s largest skating rink. The cleared length is 7.8 km and has the equivalent surface area of 90 Olympic hockey rinks! It is a very popular tourist attraction and is the main focus of Ottawa’s Winterlude festival.

Very Special Recognition

The Rideau Canal has been recognized in a number of prestigious ways – nationally and internationally. In 1925, the Rideau Canal was designated a national Historic Site of Canada (plaqued in 1926 and again in 1962). In 2000, the Rideau Waterway was designated a Canadian Heritage River in recognition of its outstanding historical and recreational values. In 2007, the Rideau Canal was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing it as the best preserved example of a slack water canal in North America, demonstrating the use of European slackwater technology in North America on a large scale. It is the only canal dating from the great North American canal-building era of the early 19th century that remains operational along its original line with most of its original structures in tact. In 2008, the National Geographic Society’s Sustainable Destinations rated the Rideau Canal second best on the 2008 “Places Rated” Destination Stewardship survey. The survey measures the world’s top historic sites for authenticity, stewardship and tourism footprint. A very exciting award!

Along the Route

With historic and world recognized value, the Rideau Canal area has become an important and high profile tourism draw, attracting visitors from throughout the world. To tie our history together, the Rideau Heritage Route was developed as a tourism region in Eastern Ontario that celebrates the beauty and historical importance of the Rideau River and Rideau Canal. As the link between the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Rideau system has an important place in Ontario's history. It curves slowly through many beautiful Ontario towns and villages, and offers scenic travels for boater and driver alike. The ‘Route’ includes such historic stopovers and sites as Kingston’s Fort Henry, the Rideau Canal Museum in Smiths Falls, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve – a large 150,000 hectare parcel of preserved wilderness between Brockville, Kingston and Westport, the 1000 Islands, the Perth Museum, Lanark County’s many maple treats and festivals, Merrickville’s stop along the Rideau Canal, the Byward Market and Kingston Market Square along with many other lock stations and quaint, historic villages.

For more Rideau Canal Heritage information, please check out the following links: www.rideaufriends.com
www.rideauheritageroute.ca