Rideau Canal
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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.
At the time of building (1826-32) the canal was a triumph of constructional engineering.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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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 locks is used mainly by pleasure boats and for tourism.
It is one of history's curiosities that a camp for 2000 construction workers employed on building a branch of the canal from the Ottawa River should eventually become the capital of Canada.
The staircase of eight locks on Parliament Hill is highly photogenic. Ottawa's first stone building was on a site next to the canal.
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