Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada (1832-2007)
The Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada is much more than the world's longest skating rink. It is a 202 km corridor of beautiful rivers, lakes, and engineered canals linking the towns and cities of Eastern Ontario. From Ottawa to Kingston the Rideau Canal passes through four distinct natural landscapes each of which possesses its own particular scenic beauty.

The Rideau Canal has been a holiday retreat and summer playground for more than a century. Its natural beauty combined with the promise of excellent sport fishing, hunting, and recreational boating stimulated the development of the tourism industry in the area and, by the end of the 19th century, hotels and private cottages made their appearance along the canal.

Declared by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to be of national historic significance, the canal attracts thousands of visitors every year, anxious to learn about this remarkable engineering achievement and its role in the development of Canada.

Rideau 175

The year 2007 marks a very special anniversary in Eastern Ontario, the 175th anniversary of the completion of the Rideau Canal.
The Rideau Canal is part of a Canada-wide family of special places. Each national park, national historic site and canal, and marine conservation area in the Parks Canada family tell its own story. Historic canals trace the routes of exploration, defence, commerce, and transportation which helped shape Canada as a young nation.

Built in turbulent times for national defence and commerce, the Rideau Canal is now a treasured national resource. To commemorate this significant anniversary in 2007 Parks Canada planned a very special celebration. A year long celebration of the culture, heritage, and uniqueness of the canal.

Many exciting events and activities offered in the different communities along the Rideau corridor are in honour of this important national historic site. No matter when or where you arrive, something exciting will be happening.

History

The Rideau Canal was conceived in the wake of the War of 1812. It was to be a war-time supply route to Kingston and the Great Lakes, because the international boundary along the St. Lawrence River was vulnerable to attack. The canal provided a secure water route for troops and supplies from Montreal to reach the settlements of Upper Canada and the strategic naval dockyard at Kingston.

In 1826, England sent Lieutenant Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers to supervise canal construction. Thousands of Irish immigrants, French Canadians and Scottish stonemasons were among the labourers who helped push the canal through the rough bush, swamps and rocky wilderness of Eastern Ontario.

Completed in 1832, the Rideau Canal was one of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century. The Tay Canal, an addition to the Rideau, was a private venture built by enterprising settlers of Perth. Connected by five wooden locks, it linked up with the Rideau Canal in 1834, ensuring Perth's participation in the commercial trade of Upper Canada. It was later replaced by a second Tay Canal built to model the original Rideau Canal.

The construction of the Rideau Canal proved to be a chief determinant in the settlement of its region. Without a water communication, that extensive tract of fertile country in the region would have long remained unsettled.

Furthermore, it was clear that local trade would increase with the country's settlement and improvement. To facilitate that trade, it was essential to the agricultural interests that storehouses be erected near the banks of the canal to reduce the cost and inconvenience of land transport and provide temporary shelters for such items as potash, wheat and flour. As a rule the administrators of the canal were prepared to meet the people’s wishes as long as these facilities did not interfere with other aspects of navigation.

Another local commercial interest involved the tapping of the surplus water power for mills. The construction of mills would stimulate local prosperity, increase trade and further enhance values. Mills at the various dams did not endanger the canal's military potential.

When the fear of war passed, the canal soon became a major artery for regional commerce. This role continued for several decades but began to decline with the completion of the St. Lawrence canal system and the introduction of the railways. In the late 19th century, a new era of luxury steamboats began introducing passengers to the Rideau.

A World Heritage Site

The Great Wall of China, The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Taj Mahal in India are a few examples of sites that are considered to be of universal value by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Rideau Canal could soon be part of this prestigious list.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is either a natural or cultural place, of sufficient importance to be the responsibility of the international community as a whole. State Parties who are part of UNESCO's convention pledge to care for World Heritage Sites in their territory and to avoid deliberate measures that could damage World Heritage Sites in other countries. As such, the World Heritage List serves as a tool for conservation.

In 2004, the Government of Canada created a Tentative List of eleven Canadian sites that had the potential to be declared a World Heritage Site. As soon as this nomination was announced a team from Parks Canada and the Rideau Canal started working on a nomination dossier. The team believes that the canal meets the criterions required by UNESCO.

World Heritage Site designation is the most significant global designation any site can achieve. Once designated, the Rideau Canal will join the thirteen amazing Canadian places that are presently inscribed to the World Heritage List and will be the only one in Ontario. This will be a cause for great celebration along the Rideau corridor. World Heritage Site designation will only add to the reasons to commemorate the Rideau Canal. To learn more about Rideau 175 visit www.rideau175.org