The
Lachine Canal (
Canal de Lachine in French) is a
canalCanals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canal: aqueduct canals are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterway canals are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.The word...
passing through the southwestern part of the
Island of MontrealThe Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies ....
,
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, running 14.5 kilometres from the
Old Port of MontrealStretching for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River in Old Montreal, the Old Port Of Montreal has been the social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French fur traders used it as a trading post in 1611...
to
Lake Saint-LouisLake 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. One can actually see a line in the middle of the lake where the two different-coloured waters meet.The lake is bounded to...
, through the boroughs of Lachine , Lasalle and
Sud-Ouest-Places:* Sud-Ouest Region , the Burkina Faso region* Sud-Ouest Region , the Cameroon region* Ile du Sud-Ouest, an isle in the Cosmoledo atoll* Le Sud-Ouest, a borough in Montreal, Quebec...
.
The canal gets its name from the French word for China (La Chine). The European explorers dreamed of finding a route from New France to the Western Sea and there on to China and hence auspiciously the region where the canal was build was named Lachine.
The canal is situated on land originally granted by the King of France to the Sulpician Order.
The
Lachine Canal (
Canal de Lachine in French) is a
canalCanals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canal: aqueduct canals are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterway canals are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.The word...
passing through the southwestern part of the
Island of MontrealThe Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies ....
,
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, running 14.5 kilometres from the
Old Port of MontrealStretching for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River in Old Montreal, the Old Port Of Montreal has been the social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French fur traders used it as a trading post in 1611...
to
Lake Saint-LouisLake 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. One can actually see a line in the middle of the lake where the two different-coloured waters meet.The lake is bounded to...
, through the boroughs of Lachine , Lasalle and
Sud-Ouest-Places:* Sud-Ouest Region , the Burkina Faso region* Sud-Ouest Region , the Cameroon region* Ile du Sud-Ouest, an isle in the Cosmoledo atoll* Le Sud-Ouest, a borough in Montreal, Quebec...
.
The canal gets its name from the French word for China (La Chine). The European explorers dreamed of finding a route from New France to the Western Sea and there on to China and hence auspiciously the region where the canal was build was named Lachine.
History
The canal is situated on land originally granted by the King of France to the Sulpician Order. Beginning in 1689, attempts were made by the French Colonial government and several other groups to build a canal that would allow ships to bypass the treacherous
Lachine RapidsThe Lachine Rapids are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. They are located near the former city of Lachine....
. After more than 130 years of failure, a consortium that included the young
ScottishScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
immigrant
John RedpathJohn Redpath was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada....
was successful.
John RichardsonJohn Richardson, , was born in Scotland, the son of Thomas Richardson, merchant in Portsoy and his first wife Helen Stewart of Towiemore and by 1774 was working for Phyn & Ellice, a Scottish fur trading company out of Schenectady, New York...
was Chairman of the Committee of Management of the canal project and its chief engineer was Thomas Brunett. The contractors were
Thomas McKayThomas McKay was a Canadian businessman who was one of the founders of the city of Ottawa, Ontario. He was born in Perth, Scotland and became a skilled stonemason...
and
John RedpathJohn Redpath was a Scots-Quebecer businessman and philanthropist who helped pioneer the industrial movement that made Montreal, Quebec the largest and most prosperous city in Canada....
, plus the firms of Thomas Phillips &
Andrew WhiteAndrew White may refer to:*Andrew Dickson White, American diplomat, author and educator*Andrew White *Andrew White , of the Kaiser Chiefs*Andrew White , Jesuit missionary...
and Abner Bagg & Oliver Wait.
Work on the canal commenced on July 17, 1821 under Chief Engineer Thomas Burnett and Construction Engineer John Richardson. The original canal was 14 km. long and had seven locks, each 30 m long, 6m wide and 1.5 m deep. The Lachine Canal which was inaugurated in 1824 and opened to navigation in 1825.
The new canal officially opened in 1825, helping turn
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
into a major port and eventually attracting industry to its banks when the Society of
Sulpician OrderThe Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
decided to sell lots.
However, while the Lachine canal proved an enormous boon for Montreal and the province of Quebec, time would show that for Canada's Maritime Provinces, it was the first major nail in that region's economic coffin.
The first enlargements took place between 1843 and 1848, under the supervision of
Alfred BarrettAlfred Barrett was born in New England. He was an engineer by training.In about 1818, Barrett began working on the engineering staff that was constructing the Erie Canal in New York State. He rapidly gained experience and was an accredited engineer by 1821...
. Five new locks, each 61 m long, 13.5 m wide and 2.7 m deep replaced the original seven locks. A second enlargement of the canal took place between 1873 and 1885 at which time the locks were lengthened to 82 m and deepened to 4.3 m.
The canal continued to operate successfully until around 1950, but now, surrounded by the industrial developments which it helped to create, it could not be expanded further to cope with the continuing increase in vessel size. The canal became obsolete in the second half of the 20th century, being replaced by the St. Lawrence Seaway, which opened in 1959. The canal was finally closed to shipping in 1970. The opening of the Seaway and the decline of shipping on the canal led to the devastation of the neighbourhoods that lined the canal in Montreal's
Sud-ouest borough due to shifting patterns of industrial development and shipping.
Locks
Since 1848, the canal has had 5 locks: Lachine, Côte-Saint-Paul, Saint-Gabriel and 2 locks at
Old Port of MontrealStretching for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River in Old Montreal, the Old Port Of Montreal has been the social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French fur traders used it as a trading post in 1611...
. But initially it had seven locks:
- Lachine (1 lock),
- Côte-Saint-Paul (2 lock in 1825, 1 since 1848)
- Saint-Gabriel (1 lock)
- Old Port of Montreal
Stretching for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River in Old Montreal, the Old Port Of Montreal has been the social, economic and cultural soul of Montreal ever since early French fur traders used it as a trading post in 1611...
(3 locks in 1825, 2 since 1848).
National Historic Site
The canal has been designated as a
National Historic Site, officially named the Lachine Canal National Historic Site.
The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic SiteThe Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site of Canada is a historic building located in the borough of Lachine in Montreal, Quebec, at the western end of the Lachine Canal....
is located near the western end of the canal.
Development
Over the last two decades, the canal has seen a large increase in residential and commercial development. In what was originally a very heavy industrial neighbourhood, Pointe Saint-Charles and Saint-Henri have become very up and coming districts. House values have sky rocketed and many real estate developers have turned the century old industrial factories and wearhouses, like that of Dominion Textiles (5524 Saint-Patrick, now
Complexe Dompark) &
Simmons Bedding CompanySimmons Bedding Company is a major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products. In business for over 125 years, they are also one of the oldest companies in the United States. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855...
(4710 St-Ambroise, now
Complexe Canal Lachine) into prestigious loft buildings. . Complexe Dompark recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and now houses more than 90 multimedia, fashion, publishing, and service industry-based companies in custom designed lofts. The area around the Atwater Market has become one of Montreal's most desirable residential areas for condo owners. Much of this is thanks to the continued effort to clean up the Canal.
Recreation
In 2002, it was reopened as a pleasure boating area, despite environmental concerns due to heavy industrial contamination of its bottom, and the banks of the canal were redeveloped. An environmental reclamation project continues to clean up old oil spills. The banks of the canal offer bicycling and roller blading.
Parks CanadaParks Canada is a Government of Canada agency that is mandated to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present...
offers guided tours of the canal by foot, bicycle, and boat during the summer months.
Crossings
From east to west:
- Rail bridge
- Bridge (Mill Road)
- Bridge (Autoroute 10)
- Rail bridge
- Wellington Bridge with the closed Wellington Tunnel underneath
- Des Seigneurs Bridge
- Charlevoix Bridge with the Metro Line 1 (Green)
The Green line is one of the four lines of the metro in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The line runs through the commercial section of downtown Montreal underneath Boulevard de Maisonneuve, formerly Rue de Montigny...
in a tunnel
- Atwater Footbridge
- Atwater Tunnel (Atwater Street
Atwater Avenue is a major street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Forum, Place Alexis-Nihon, Dawson College, the Atwater station, the Lionel-Groulx station and the Atwater Market are located on this street...
)
- Rail bridge
- Pedestrian bridge
- St. Rémi Tunnel
- Bridge (Autoroute 15/Autoroute 20)
- Côte St. Paul Bridge
- Monk Boulevard Bridge
- Pedestrian bridge
- Bridge (Angrignon Boulevard)
- Pedestrian bridge
- Lafleur Bridge and Gauron Bridge (two adjacent bridges carrying St. Pierre Boulevard)
- Bridge (Route 138
Route 138 is one of the oldest highways in Canada. The western terminus is in Elgin, at the border with the state of New York south-west of Montreal , and it follows the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River past Montreal to the eastern terminus in Natashquan on the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
)
- Rockfield Bridge (rail)
- Bridge (Museum Way)
External links