Rideau Canal

As a military-based work to connect Montreal with Kingston, the canal has been used extensively for recreational purposes since its construction in 1914. The Rideau Canal, one of North America’s longest continually operating canals, was designated a Canada-related Heritage River in 2000, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site was established in 2007.

During the War of 1812, the St. Lawrence River, which runs from Montreal to Lake Ontario and borders the United States on both sides, exposed Upper Canada (Ontario) to the British. A new defence plan was established at the war’s end to ensure that the Royal Navy would have access to the Canadian interior in future confrontations with America.

The Water Channel of the Rideau Waterway

• The canal water from the Rideau channel may be found in all three states.
• Because of its military relevance, a large part of the Rideau Canal’s funding came from the British Ordnance Department. 
• In 1826, Lieut. John was sent to Canada by the British government to oversee the construction of a canal connecting the place Montreal and Lake Ontario.

The Rideau Canal Project

• Under the influence of hazy instructions, Lieut John spent the first year of the Rideau Canal project inspecting the projected route. 
• He chose to begin the canal on Canada’s capital city of Ottawa river rather than the St. Lawrence River since the latter was in a more dangerous region between Montreal and the former. 
• Kingston, on the shores of Lake Ontario, would serve as the other terminal, with its naval piers and ability to provide interior access via the Great Lakes system.

With the help of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers and a succession of lakes, a 1.5-metre- (5-foot-) deep canal was constructed. As a result of natural elevation changes between bodies of water, the canal required a total of 47 closings, and at numerous locations, it required multiple locks. It was necessary to build eight connecting locks. Between Canada’s capital city of Ottawa River and Upper Rideau Lake, the system required 33 locks for an elevation difference of 83 metres (273 feet). A total of 14 locks were constructed between the peak and Lake Ontario, resulting in a 50-metre lift (164 feet).

The History of the Dams Construction

• Two dams were constructed to turn a swamp into Dow’s Lake, and others were constructed to make the rivers navigable. 
• When designing Jones Falls’s 107-metre-wide arched dam, nearly double the height of any other north-American dam of its era.
• After years of planning and preparation, work on the canal finally finished in 1827. 
• Most workers were French Canadian and Irish, but British Royal Sappers and Miners were also employed on the project. 
• The canal was finally inaugurated on May 24, 1832, after a long and eventful history that included breaking different ailments like swamp fever and even the desertions of military labourers.
• John was summoned to London shortly after the canal’s completion for questioning by members of the British Parliament on the project’s cost overruns, and allegations of financial impropriety levelled against him. 
• Construction of the canal cost £822,000, which was far more than the assumed date before work began. 
• The Rideau Canal was the most expensive military-financed public works project undertaken in any British colony in the 19th century because of the unclear orders and poor communication between Canada and the British Ordnance and Parliament in Great Britain.
•  Parliament investigated the alleged financial misdeeds, spurred up by rumours disseminated by a fired employee. John was acquitted of all charges in the end.

From Business to a Place of Leisure

• Despite being established for military objectives and stopped by six blockhouses, the Rideau Canal was initially used for commercial purposes. 
• The Rideau Canal had supplanted Canada’s capital city of Ottawa River as the favoured waterway to Montreal when significant improvements to navigation on the latter were built. 
• Shipping costs and difficulties from Ontario were considerably lowered to stimulate future settlement. 
• The Rideau River brought wheat and timber to Montreal’s marketplaces and merchants.
•  With its rapid growth and transformation into the capital of Canada, it quickly became the centre of Canada’s booming lumber industry and eventually expanded into its city.

The British Ordnance Department continued to operate the Rideau until 1856. In 1868, the federal government took over responsibility for railways and canals under the Department of Railways and Canals (later reorganised as part of the Department of Transport). The Rideau Canal’s commerce began to decline in the 1850s when more powerful steamships were created. However, it was a part of the unique transportation system and smaller railroads.

Conclusion:

The Rideau waterway’s principal purpose had moved from freight to recreation by the early twentieth century. Cottages and chalets were built around the lakes and canals, and bass fishing became a popular pastime. When the canal was threatened with closure in 1932, the dams were being used to generate electricity, and the canal was being used more for recreational purposes. Thus, it was decided to keep it open. A portion of the Rideau Canal in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa serves as the world’s longest ice sheet during winter. Responsibility for the canal was transferred to Parks Canada in 1972 because of its increased use.