Rideau Canal
Canada · Americas
About Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal is a historical scenic waterway that connects the towns of Kingston and Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rideau Canal travel guide
Understand
The canal was built by the British after the War of 1812 to provide a secure link between Montreal and Kingston, without passing along the Saint Lawrence River because that river borders American territory. Colonel By of the Royal Engineers was in charge; the city at the north end of the canal, now called Ottawa, was founded as "Bytown". Construction started in 1827 and the canal was opened 5 years later in 1832, with 47 locks in 25 lock stations. While the total length of the route is 202 km, only about 19 km of canals were dug, as the rest of the route used lakes and rivers. The Bytown Museum by the Ottawa Locks in Ottawa is a good place to learn about the history of the Rideau Canal. Parks Canada displays four floors of museum exhibits at the Rideau Canal Visitor Centre, a 19th century stone mill (34 Beckwith Street) in Smiths Falls.
Getting there
The entry points to the canal are Kingston to the south, from Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River (elevation 74 m), and Ottawa in the north from the Ottawa River (elevation 40 m).
Go next
Trans-Canada Highway (itinerary) from Ottawa-Gatineau Windsor-Quebec corridor (itinerary) from Kingston Thousand Islands
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.