Rideau Canal

The 200km / 124mi long Rideau Canal, only 1.6m/ 5.25ft) deep, connects Ottawa with Kingston on Lake Ontario. It was originally intended as a second strategic route between Montréal and Lake Ontario, the military need for which was demonstrated during the war with the United States in 1812.

At the time of building (1826-32) the canal was a triumph of constructional engineering. More than four dozen dams were required to control the water levels, and the 83m (272 ft) ascent to the summit between Ottawa and Lake Ontario meant that boats had to pass through numerous locks.

Although steamers plied the canal for over a hundred years it never came to have any major economic significance. Today the waterway with its 24 operational