A visit to the historic Rideau Canal is a must if you're traveling to Ottawa. “The canal” as it’s known locally, is the heart beat of Canada’s Capital in any season. In the warmer months, the canal is a haven for walkers, runners, in-line skaters and cyclists, who stroll along its scenic, rolling green banks. But in winter, the Rideau Canal turns into the Rideau Canal Skateway, aka, the world’s largest skating rink! The skating period runs from December to the beginning of March. After March the ice begins to gradually melt, reducing the thickness of the ice, starting the navigation period.
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Photo: R. Edgar
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Built between 1826 and 1832 by Colonel John By of the British Royal Engineers, the stone-walled canal received a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2007 and is the only such site in the entire province of Ontario!
Having to dig and clear through the savage Canadian wilderness over six long years, about 1,000 workers perished during the waterway’s construction from malaria or accidents, and were buried along its picturesque banks. Of the 202 kilometres (126 miles) stretching from Kingston to Ottawa, 19 kilometres (12 miles) of the canal is man-made and was dug out by hand. The canal — with its 45 locks located in various Ontario communities, was originally built for a military purpose to establish a secure supply and communications route between Montreal, Québec and Kingston.
Having to dig and clear through the savage Canadian wilderness over six long years, about 1,000 workers perished during the waterway’s construction from malaria or accidents, and were buried along its picturesque banks. Of the 202 kilometres (126 miles) stretching from Kingston to Ottawa, 19 kilometres (12 miles) of the canal is man-made and was dug out by hand. The canal — with its 45 locks located in various Ontario communities, was originally built for a military purpose to establish a secure supply and communications route between Montreal, Québec and Kingston.
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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. The canal is “the best-preserved example of a slackwater canal in North America, demonstrating the use of this European technology on a large scale,” UNESCO says. It is also the only canal dating back to the nineteenth century “North American canal-building era” to remain operational with most of its original structures intact. - in: https://ottawatourism.ca
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