Carillon Canal
Encyclopedia
The Carillon Canal is a National Historic Site in Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec
, Canada. It preserves the historic Carillon Canal that was first built in the 1830s to facilitate travel on the Ottawa River
. It is a prominent heritage site and recreation area, visited annually by 20,000 pleasure boaters and 30,000 people who use its riverside park.
In addition to the original canal itself, other items of historical interest are:
. The impetus for these canals was the War of 1812
. During this war, attacks along the Saint Lawrence River
jeopardized the communication lines between Kingston and Montreal, the two main military positions of Upper and Lower Canada. The Ottawa River Canals and the Rideau Canal
were thus designed as an alternative military supply route in the event of war with the Americans.
Work began first on the Grenville Canal in 1818. In 1819, Captain Henry Vernet of the Royal Corps of Engineering arrived from Britain to lead the construction of the project. Hundreds of Irish immigrants and French Canadians were used to excavate the canal under the direction of a hundred British soldiers. In 1833, the Grenville Canal was completed with an original length of 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and the entire network on the Ottawa River, including the 11 locks
, was not fully completed until about 1843.
The military requirements decided all aspects of the canal. The size of the locks were set to 134 feet (40.8 m) long, 33 feet (10.1 m) wide, and only 5 feet (1.5 m) deep at the thresholds. These dimensions, standards adopted for military use, were insufficient for any commercial use. Forestry had become the main economic activity in this region, and from 1867, local business people demanded that the government carry out improvements to the network because the original canal network had become outdated. In 1870, the Canals Commission recommended making the Ottawa River deeper between Lachine and Ottawa. Therefore, between 1873 and 1882, the Grenville and Carillon Canals were enlarged (the dam built upstream from the village of Carillon raised the level of the Ottawa River at Chute-à-Blondeau, making the need for a canal and lock there no longer necessary).
Further changes were made from 1959 to 1963 with the construction of the Carillon hydroelectric dam
and a modern 20 metres (65.6 ft) high lock at Carillon. This work substantially and irreversibly changed the canal network. The dam raised the water level by over 62 feet (18.9 m) at Carillon and over 9 feet (2.7 m) at Grenville. The new water level flooded the rapids of Long-Sault, transforming them into calm water.
Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec
Saint-André-d'Argenteuil is a municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Argenteuil Regional County Municipality. It is located along the Ottawa River, just south of Lachute.-History:...
, Canada. It preserves the historic Carillon Canal that was first built in the 1830s to facilitate travel on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
. It is a prominent heritage site and recreation area, visited annually by 20,000 pleasure boaters and 30,000 people who use its riverside park.
In addition to the original canal itself, other items of historical interest are:
- the remains of lock No. 1, built between 1830 and 1833
- the superintendent's and toll collector's houses
- the jetty of the second canal built between 1873 and 1882
- the Carillon Barracks, currently housing the Regional Argenteuil Museum.
History
Together with the Grenville Canal and the Chute-à-Blondeau Canal, the Carillon Canal was built to navigate the Long Sault Rapids on the Ottawa River which stretched for 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Carillon to GrenvilleGrenville, Quebec
Grenville is a village and municipality in the Argenteuil Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. It is located opposite Hawkesbury, Ontario, on the Ottawa River.-History:...
. The impetus for these canals was the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. During this war, attacks along the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
jeopardized the communication lines between Kingston and Montreal, the two main military positions of Upper and Lower Canada. The Ottawa River Canals and the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
were thus designed as an alternative military supply route in the event of war with the Americans.
Work began first on the Grenville Canal in 1818. In 1819, Captain Henry Vernet of the Royal Corps of Engineering arrived from Britain to lead the construction of the project. Hundreds of Irish immigrants and French Canadians were used to excavate the canal under the direction of a hundred British soldiers. In 1833, the Grenville Canal was completed with an original length of 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and the entire network on the Ottawa River, including the 11 locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
, was not fully completed until about 1843.
The military requirements decided all aspects of the canal. The size of the locks were set to 134 feet (40.8 m) long, 33 feet (10.1 m) wide, and only 5 feet (1.5 m) deep at the thresholds. These dimensions, standards adopted for military use, were insufficient for any commercial use. Forestry had become the main economic activity in this region, and from 1867, local business people demanded that the government carry out improvements to the network because the original canal network had become outdated. In 1870, the Canals Commission recommended making the Ottawa River deeper between Lachine and Ottawa. Therefore, between 1873 and 1882, the Grenville and Carillon Canals were enlarged (the dam built upstream from the village of Carillon raised the level of the Ottawa River at Chute-à-Blondeau, making the need for a canal and lock there no longer necessary).
Further changes were made from 1959 to 1963 with the construction of the Carillon hydroelectric dam
Carillon Generating Station
The Carillon Generating Station is a hydroelectric power station on the Ottawa River near Carillon, Quebec, Canada. Built between 1959 and 1964, it is managed and operated by Hydro-Québec. It is a run-of-river generating station with an installed capacity of 752 MW, a head of , and a reservoir of...
and a modern 20 metres (65.6 ft) high lock at Carillon. This work substantially and irreversibly changed the canal network. The dam raised the water level by over 62 feet (18.9 m) at Carillon and over 9 feet (2.7 m) at Grenville. The new water level flooded the rapids of Long-Sault, transforming them into calm water.
See also
- Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue CanalSainte-Anne-de-Bellevue CanalThe Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal is a canal and set of locks linking Lake Saint-Louis and Lake of Two Mountains at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, the very western-most point of Montreal Island, Quebec, Canada...
- a canal further downstream, also a National Historic Site