Rideau Heritage Route

Thanks, Colonel By

The towns and villages along the Rideau Heritage Route welcome visitors to explore the corridor by land or by water. You can taste the bread made from stone ground flour; seek out the treasures made by the artists and artisans who live in this area of inspirational beauty. Investigate the history of the Rideau Canal in a museum, or at a lock station. Enjoy canoeing, cycling, fishing, golfing, theatre and festivals. Learn more about the Rideau Heritage Route and the communities found along its corridor here: http://www.rideauheritageroute.ca/en/

Lt. Col. John By,

Fast Facts about the Rideau Canal Locks

• Number of locks: 47
• Number of lock stations: 24
• Length of canal: 202 km (125 miles)
• First official opening: Summer of 1832
• Estimated travel time (one way): 3 to 5 days (motor boat), 6 to 10 days (paddling)
• Season of operation: Mid May to late October
• Number of land based visitors: 1 - 1.4 million annually
• Most utilized locks (by boat): Narrows (6921 in 2005), Newboro (6456 in 2005)

Services

Most lock stations have washrooms, parking for bicycles, first-aid, overnight dockage and picnic areas, including tables, benches and barbecue grills.

Rideau Canal: World Heritage Site

Brief Description

The Rideau Canal, a monumental early 19th-century construction covering 202 km of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers from Ottawa south to Kingston Harbour on Lake Ontario, was built primarily for strategic military purposes at a time when Great Britain and the United States vied for control of the region. The site, one of the first canals to be designed specifically for steam-powered vessels, also features an ensemble of fortifications. It is the best-preserved example of a slackwater canal in North America, demonstrating the use of this European technology on a large scale. It is the only canal dating from the great North American canal-building era of the early 19th century to remain operational along its original line with most of its structures intact.