Beauharnois Canal
Encyclopedia
The Beauharnois Canal is a Canadian
canal
located in southwestern Quebec
. The canal is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Located in Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality
within the cities of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois
, Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague
, and Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka
, the canal connects Lake Saint-Francis
to the west (upstream) with Lake Saint-Louis
to the northeast (downstream), bypassing a series of rapids on the St. Lawrence River.
(24 km) in length and was built on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, opening in 1843.
The canal became obsolete and was superseded by the Soulanges Canal
in 1899 which ran on the north side of the St. Lawrence River.
The present Beauharnois Canal was built between 1929-1932 on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, measuring 24.5 km in length. This canal was built as part of a hydroelectric development at Beauharnois which saw a dam
and power house
built to take advantage of the 24 m (83 ft) drop between Lake St. Francis and Lake St. Louis. Some of the electricity is used to power a large aluminum smelter.
In the 1950s, the Beauharnois Canal had 2 locks added as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway project. This in turn superseded the Soulanges Canal.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
located in southwestern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. The canal is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Located in Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality
Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality is a regional county municipality in southwestern Quebec. The regional county municipality seat is Beauharnois.-Communities:*Cities and Towns**Beauharnois**Salaberry-de-Valleyfield...
within the cities of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois
Beauharnois, Quebec
Beauharnois is a city located in the Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality of southwestern Quebec, Canada and is part of Greater Montreal Area. The city's population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 11,918...
, Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague
Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, Montérégie, Quebec
Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague is a parish municipality of Quebec, located within the Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie administrative region. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 1,404.-Population:Population trend...
, and Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka
Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Quebec
Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka is a municipality of Quebec, located within the Beauharnois-Salaberry Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie administrative region. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 1,668.-Population:Population trend...
, the canal connects Lake Saint-Francis
Lac Saint-François
Lake Saint Francis is a lake which borders southeastern Ontario, southwestern Quebec and northern New York State. It is located on the Saint Lawrence River between Lake Ontario and Montreal...
to the west (upstream) with Lake Saint-Louis
Lake Saint-Louis
Lake Saint-Louis, or in French , is a lake in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, adjoining the Island of Montreal at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers.The lake is bounded to the north and east by the Island of Montreal...
to the northeast (downstream), bypassing a series of rapids on the St. Lawrence River.
History
The original Beauharnois Canal measured 15 nmNautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
(24 km) in length and was built on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, opening in 1843.
The canal became obsolete and was superseded by the Soulanges Canal
Soulanges Canal
The Soulanges Canal is an abandoned shipping canal in Quebec, Canada. It follows the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River between Pointe-des-Cascades and Coteaux-Landing, bypassing the rapids between Lake Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-Francis. In between, it passes through the towns of Les Cèdres...
in 1899 which ran on the north side of the St. Lawrence River.
The present Beauharnois Canal was built between 1929-1932 on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, measuring 24.5 km in length. This canal was built as part of a hydroelectric development at Beauharnois which saw a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and power house
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
built to take advantage of the 24 m (83 ft) drop between Lake St. Francis and Lake St. Louis. Some of the electricity is used to power a large aluminum smelter.
In the 1950s, the Beauharnois Canal had 2 locks added as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway project. This in turn superseded the Soulanges Canal.