The Rideau Canal system is an enduring monument to the “elbows up” call to action that goes back over 200 years. While things settled down after the war of 1812, we are reminded that there are no guarantees.
Built in only 5 years (1827-1832) it stretches 126 miles from Ottawa to Kingston, features 47 locks, drowning rapids, deepening sections and connecting lakes making it a more easily navigable route from Montreal to the Great lakes – and a safer alternative to the St. Lawrence River with its rapids and a hostile country to the south. Sadly the human cost was high with some 1000 workers dying of mosquito borne and other diseases.
By far, the biggest challenge was the dam at Hogs Back which raised the water level 41 feet.
I wonder what the river looked like before the canal. Three Rock Rapids was a stretch of 2000 ft in length, dropping 6 feet. A limestone ridge in the middle of the Rideau was referred to as Hogs Back by raftsmen at the time. The lower half of Three Rock Rapids survives with the rest now under water in Mooney’s Bay.
Acrylic, 20×48 on gallery wrap canvas – $1,060
ISTVAN JOBST FINE ART 