Dow's Lake
Encyclopedia
Dow's Lake in Ottawa
, Canada
is a small man-made lake
on the Rideau Canal
, situated two kilometres north of Hog's Back Falls
in the middle of Ottawa. It is at the south end of Preston Street
, just south of Carling Avenue
, and just to the west of Bronson Avenue. At the south end of the lake is Carleton University
, and to the west is the Dominion Arboretum
, at the edge of the Central Experimental Farm
.
is now atop the dam) to allow flooding for the canal. Originally, the Rideau Canal was to run north from Dow's Lake, but land speculation, and Colonel By's reluctance to reward such speculation, resulted in the current location of the canal.
Situated next to the pavilion on the western shore is Canadian Forces Reserve Barrack Dow's Lake. This installation, opened in 1943, is home to HMCS Carleton
and 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Units of the Canadian Naval Reserve and Canadian Army Reserve respectively.
A rail tunnel passes under the lake which was formerly owned and operated by Canadian Pacific. This tunnel replaced a rail line that once crossed the lake on the surface. The OC Transpo
introduced the 'O-Train' in 2001, a light-rail transit system, which remains the primary user of the tunnel.
Unveiled by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
, The Man With Two Hats is a 4.6 metre sculpture by Henk Visch. It commemorates the role Canadian forces played in the liberation of the Netherlands, and a reproduced cast of the sculpture exists in Apeldoorn
, Netherlands
. Facing to the lake, it symbolises the historic links between Canada and the Netherlands as well as Princess Margriet's birth at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.
During the winter, Dow's Lake freezes and becomes part of the world's longest skating rink and one of the primary sites of the Winterlude
festival in February, with events such as the 'bed races' and 'waiter races' on the ice.
Two scenic drives along the canal pass to either side of the lake. The Queen Elizabeth Driveway
, named after the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
(who traveled along it during the 1939 royal visit
) runs beside the north and west sides of the lake. The Colonel By Drive, named after the founder of the city, Lieutenant-Colonel John By
, runs beside the south side of the lake.
At the north end of the lake a pavilion is situated over the water with three restaurants overlooking the water. They are Malone's, Lago and Guadala Harry's. Other services of the pavilion include canoe and paddle boat rentals, boat mooring and an indoor change area for skating. It is open year-round.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
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...
is a small man-made lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on 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...
, situated two kilometres north of Hog's Back Falls
Hog's Back Falls
The Hog's Back Falls, officially known as the Prince of Wales Falls, but rarely referred to by this name, are a series of artificially-created waterfalls on the Rideau River in Ottawa, Canada...
in the middle of Ottawa. It is at the south end of Preston Street
Preston Street (Ottawa)
Preston Street is a street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, running between Wellington Street and Carling Avenue. It is the main commercial district in Little Italy, home to numerous small business and Italian restaurants, and is synonymous with "Little Italy" to many Ottawa residents when referring to...
, just south of Carling Avenue
Carling Avenue
Carling Avenue is a major east-west arterial road in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from March Road in Kanata to Bronson Avenue in the Glebe...
, and just to the west of Bronson Avenue. At the south end of the lake is Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
, and to the west is the Dominion Arboretum
Dominion Arboretum
The Dominion Arboretum is located at the Central Experimental Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Originally begun in 1889 the Arboretum covers about 26 ha of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive, Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. Carleton University is located...
, at the edge of the Central Experimental Farm
Central Experimental Farm
The Central Experimental Farm is an agricultural facility, working farm, and research centre of the Research Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As the name indicates, this farm is centrally located in and completely surrounded by the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada...
.
History
Early settlement
The lake is named after Abram Dow who owned land in this area in 1816. Before the construction of the Canal, this area was known as Dow's Great Swamp. The lake was created when a dam was constructed along the north shore (Queen Elizabeth DrivewayQueen Elizabeth Driveway
Queen Elizabeth Driveway is a scenic parkway in Ottawa, Canada that runs along the western edge of the Rideau Canal. It runs from Laurier Avenue in the north to Dow's Lake where it turns into Prince of Wales Drive...
is now atop the dam) to allow flooding for the canal. Originally, the Rideau Canal was to run north from Dow's Lake, but land speculation, and Colonel By's reluctance to reward such speculation, resulted in the current location of the canal.
20th century developments
In past years, the parkland to the north and east was rail yards until the 1940s and the area was mostly industrial.Situated next to the pavilion on the western shore is Canadian Forces Reserve Barrack Dow's Lake. This installation, opened in 1943, is home to HMCS Carleton
HMCS Carleton
HMCS Carleton is a unit of the Canadian Forces Naval Reserve based in Ottawa, Ontario, with approximately 230 sailors who are part time, full time and work with the Chief of Maritime Staff.-History:...
and 30th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. Units of the Canadian Naval Reserve and Canadian Army Reserve respectively.
A rail tunnel passes under the lake which was formerly owned and operated by Canadian Pacific. This tunnel replaced a rail line that once crossed the lake on the surface. The OC Transpo
OC Transpo
OC Transpo is the urban transit service of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; a bus rapid transit system — a high...
introduced the 'O-Train' in 2001, a light-rail transit system, which remains the primary user of the tunnel.
Unveiled by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands is the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands...
, The Man With Two Hats is a 4.6 metre sculpture by Henk Visch. It commemorates the role Canadian forces played in the liberation of the Netherlands, and a reproduced cast of the sculpture exists in Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland, about 60 miles south east of Amsterdam, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre and has 155,000 . The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has over 155,000...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Facing to the lake, it symbolises the historic links between Canada and the Netherlands as well as Princess Margriet's birth at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.
Visitor activities
In May, the surrounding park, Commissioner's Park, displays tulips planted by the NCC (National Capital Commission) for the annual Canadian Tulip Festival. Over 50 varieties and approximately 300,000 tulips bloom each May along the Rideau Canal.During the winter, Dow's Lake freezes and becomes part of the world's longest skating rink and one of the primary sites of the Winterlude
Winterlude
Winterlude is an annual festival in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec that celebrates winter.Winterlude is run by Canada's National Capital Commission and was started in 1979. The event is one of Ottawa's most important tourist draws, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year...
festival in February, with events such as the 'bed races' and 'waiter races' on the ice.
Two scenic drives along the canal pass to either side of the lake. The Queen Elizabeth Driveway
Queen Elizabeth Driveway
Queen Elizabeth Driveway is a scenic parkway in Ottawa, Canada that runs along the western edge of the Rideau Canal. It runs from Laurier Avenue in the north to Dow's Lake where it turns into Prince of Wales Drive...
, named after the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
(who traveled along it during the 1939 royal visit
Royal visits to Canada
Canadian royal tours in the 21st century carry on the tradition of the previous 300 years, either as an official tour, a working tour, a vacation, or a period of military service by a member of the Canadian Royal Family...
) runs beside the north and west sides of the lake. The Colonel By Drive, named after the founder of the city, Lieutenant-Colonel John By
John By
Lieutenant-Colonel John By was a British military engineer, best remembered for supervising the construction of the Rideau Canal and, in the process, founding what would become the city of Ottawa....
, runs beside the south side of the lake.
At the north end of the lake a pavilion is situated over the water with three restaurants overlooking the water. They are Malone's, Lago and Guadala Harry's. Other services of the pavilion include canoe and paddle boat rentals, boat mooring and an indoor change area for skating. It is open year-round.
External links
- Dows Lake Pavilion Privately run Dows Lake Pavilion