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Visit Victorian towns and military blockhouses. Cycle a woodland pathway and picnic alongside hand-operated locks on the 19th century Rideau Canal, an historic waterway linking a scenic string of rivers and lakes.
Mar 7, 2024 · Rideau Canal, inland waterway between the Canadian capital of Ottawa and Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario. Completed in 1832, the 200-km (125-mile) canal uses both the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers and a series of lakes, including Upper Rideau Lake at its summit, to create its waterway.
The history winds along the Rideau Canal in communities along the way. See the Lockmaster’s House Museum at Chaffey’s Lock, the blockhouses at Merrickville, Newboro, Kingston Mills and Narrow’s Lock, and the “whispering” Stone Arch Dam at Jones Falls, a jaw-dropping engineering feat for its time.
The Rideau Canal was specifically designed for steam-powered vessels and is one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. It is the best-preserved slackwater canal system and its mode of operation has changed very little since the beginning.
The Rideau Canal runs between Ottawa and Kingston in Southern Ontario, both easily accessible by car and public transportation from Toronto (260 kilometres to Kingston) and Montréal (200 kilometres to Ottawa).
Rideau Canal (or Waterway), 202 km long, links the Ottawa River at Ottawa with Lake Ontario at Kingston. Conceived as the major component of an alternative route for military purposes between Montréal and Kingston, the Rideau Canal was first proposed as the War of 1812 drew to its close.
Feb 22, 2024 · According to UNESCO, as a World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal represents a “masterpiece of creative genius” and meets the 10 different criteria needed to secure such a prestigious designation.
