Locks and Blockhouses of the Rideau Canal.

With the War of 1812 a recent memory, the British Royal Engineers, under Lt. Col. John By, began construction in 1826 of the Rideau Canal. (The original name of Ottawa was Bytown). The purpose of the canal was to provide an alternative route via the Ottawa River for the Kingston-Montreal passage, thus avoiding proximity to the U.S. border.

There was concern regarding renewed hostilities with America so blockhouses and forts were part of the plan. It is interesting to note that the canal planned to have strongpoints at either end and that the blockhouses in place were at the locks closest to the U.S. border. Construction of the canal was completed in 1832 when the passage was opened. Initially it was a moderate commercial sucess when competing with the Erie Canal for business. Much later it morphed into a recreational boating attraction which it remains today. It is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

My interest in this topic was sparked by a recent TVO program called 'Tripping the Rideau Canal'. I made a posting on this topic ten years ago; this posting corrects errors and omissions in the original.


Locks and Blockhouses of the Rideau Canal..kmz (4.39 KB)