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94-670: Prior to the Rideau Canal being built (1826 – 1832), the Cataraqui River had its headwaters in Dog and Loughborough lakes. It was a meandering creek, a 1795 map (by surveyor Lewis Grant) noted "a great number of rapids and Carrying Places on this creek." This changed with the building of the Rideau Canal. The Superintending Engineer of the project, Lt. Colonel John By , used a slackwater construction technique, building dams to drown rapids. In

188-501: A lock system that is still fully functioning. The gates that let boats in and out of the locks last approximately 12–15 years. When the canal was constructed, the gates were made at the lock sites by carpenters and blacksmiths, but presently they are made in Smiths Falls , Ontario, and sometimes it takes up to two months to build a set of gates. The gates used on the Rideau Canal are made of Douglas Fir and are mitre-shaped to ensure

282-522: A boat up to 33.5 m (109 ft 11 in) in length by 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) in width can be handled. Four blockhouses were built from 1826 to 1832 to provide protection for the canal which was under the control of the British Forces : A fifth blockhouse at Burritts Rapids was partially built in 1832 before work was stopped with only the foundation and walls completed, then rebuilt in 1914–1915 and finally demolished to be replaced by

376-668: A bounty from the Governor of Quebec for 12 British scalps taken at Halifax. Acadian Pierre Gautier, son of Joseph-Nicolas Gautier , led Mi'kmaq warriors from Louisbourg on three raids against Halifax in 1757. In each raid, Gautier took prisoners or scalps or both. During the last raid in September, Gautier, with four Mi'kmaq warriors, killed and scalped two British men at the foot of Citadel Hill. In July 1759, Mi'kmaq and Acadians killed five British in Dartmouth, opposite McNabb's Island. By 1761,

470-446: A clear harbour view from armoured ramparts. The shape of the hill and the "moat area" were structured so as to give multiple lines of fire from defenders. In case of overwhelming attack, portions of the hill had tunnels which could be packed with explosives and detonated from the fort; these tunnels extend about 100 feet from the outerwalls and are T-shaped, the top of the T about 50 feet wide. Brick walled about 4 feet high and 4 feet wide,

564-578: A military route and incorporating 47 locks, 16 lakes, two rivers, and a 360-foot-long (110 m), 60-foot-high (18.3 m) dam at Jones Falls ( Jones Falls Dam ), was completed in 1832. Other plaques to the canal erected by the Ontario Heritage Trust are at Kingston Mills, Smiths Falls, and Rideau Lakes. The 202 kilometres (126 mi) of the Rideau Canal incorporate sections of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers, as well as several lakes, including

658-644: A misconception that workers were buried in unmarked graves). Some of the dead remain unidentified as they had no known relatives in Upper Canada. Memorials have been erected along the canal route, most recently the Celtic Cross memorials in Ottawa , Kingston and Chaffeys Lock. The first memorial on the Rideau Canal acknowledging deaths among the labour force was erected in 1993 by the Kingston and District Labour Council and

752-502: A new magazine during the War of 1812 in case of an American raid, but the British did not construct new fortifications. The significant British Royal Navy presence in this area made an American siege unlikely. By 1825 all the works except the powder magazine were in ruins, and a new citadel was being designed. Construction for the present citadel began in 1828. However, the star-shaped fortress

846-416: A new threat to Halifax. A new citadel was designed in 1794 and completed by 1800. Much of the work was inspired by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria, who was posted to Halifax as Commander-in-chief from 1794 to 1800. The top of the hill was levelled and lowered a further 4.5 metres (15 feet) to accommodate a larger fortress on the summit. It resembled

940-535: A significant stage in human history – that of the fight to control the north of the American continent. A plaque was erected by the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board at Jones Falls Lockstation commemorating Lieutenant Colonel John By, Royal Engineer, the superintending engineer in charge of the construction of the Rideau Canal. The plaque notes the 123-mile-long (198 km) Rideau Canal, built as

1034-629: A slackwater canal system using dams to raise the water level to sink rapids instead of constructing new channels around them. This was a better approach as it required fewer workers, was more cost effective, and would have been easier to build. The canal work started in the fall of 1826, and it was completed by the spring of 1832. The first full steamboat transit of the canal was made by Robert Drummond's steamboat, Rideau (aka "Pumper"), leaving Kingston on May 22, 1832, with Colonel By and family on board, and arriving in Bytown on May 29, 1832. The final cost of

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1128-458: A sloop of war, followed by 13 transports (some sources say 15) that carried a total of 1,176–2500 settlers. On September 11, 1749, Cornwallis wrote to the Board of Trade , which supervised this colonial effort: The first fort was a small redoubt, with a flagstaff and guardhouse near the summit just east of the south ravelin of the present citadel . It was part of the western perimeter wall for

1222-512: A smiling monster with havoc in its belly". By the end of the 19th century, the role of the Citadel in the defence of Halifax Harbour had evolved as it was used as a command centre for other, more distant harbour defensive works. It also provided barrack accommodations. The 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot were stationed at Halifax for almost three years (1869-1871). The regiment arrived in Halifax on

1316-696: A survey for a canal offering access to the Canadian heartland. However, his plan was not followed by Colonel By in building the Rideau Canal ; By had chosen a route between the Ottawa River and Kingston where Lake Ontario flows into the Saint Lawrence River . In 1819, Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond , who was the Governor-in-Chief of British North America , planned to make an inspection of

1410-529: A tight seal due to water pressure. The average Rideau Canal lock lift uses 1.3 million litres (1,300 m ; 1,700 cu yd or 290,000 imp gal; 340,000 US gal) of water. In normal operations the canal can handle boats up to 27.4 m (89 ft 11 in) in length, 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) in width, and 6.7 m (22 ft) in height with a draft of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) (boats drafting over 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in). In special circumstances

1504-527: Is an independent non-profit museum and staff work in close partnership with the Citadel staff of Parks Canada. In July 2006, Halifax Citadel celebrated the 100th anniversary of the withdrawal of the last British military forces from Canada. The Citadel hosted over 1,000 re-enactors from around the world. Approaching the Christmas season, Citadel Hill annually hosts a "Victorian Christmas". Visitors are treated to crafts, carolers, and games. Ghost tours are held at

1598-493: Is opened for the season. The Rideau Canal Skateway is maintained by the NCC ( National Capital Commission ). The ice is maintained by crews 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The snow and ice shavings are cleared off the surface every day and the ice surface is flooded each night with a "water dispersion machine" (weather permitting) to fill in any cracks caused by the contracting and expanding ice. There are approximately 20 holes along

1692-475: Is part of Canadian Forces Base Halifax. Each summer, men from the regiment camped at Bedford to practice musketry at the military range. Before their departure in 1871, a farewell ball was arranged for them, complete with a musical tribute composed in their honour. It was hosted by Alexander Keith , mayor of Halifax and noted brewmaster , who became Grandmaster of the Mason Lodge of Nova Scotia. On November 25,

1786-637: Is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is named for the Rideau River, which was in turn named for Rideau Falls . The name Rideau , French for "curtain", is derived from the curtain-like appearance of the falls where they join the Ottawa River. After the War of 1812 , information was received about the United States ' plans to invade

1880-689: The 78th Highland Regiment (stationed at Halifax between 1869 and 1871), the 78th Highlanders (Halifax Citadel) Pipe Band , the Third Brigade of the Royal Artillery , soldiers' wives, and civilian tradespeople. Parks Canada also hosts several re-enactment events each year by volunteers of the Brigade of the American Revolution and the two living history associations. Guided and self-guided tours, and audio-visual presentations and exhibits communicate

1974-656: The British colony of Upper Canada from upstate New York by following the St. Lawrence River . This would have severed the lifeline between Montreal and a major naval base at Kingston. To protect against such an attack in the future, the British began the construction or reinforcement of a number of defences including Citadel Hill in Halifax , La Citadelle in Quebec City , and Fort Henry in Kingston. In 1816, Sir Joshua Jebb completed

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2068-577: The Caledonian Canal in Scotland . In 2000 the Rideau Waterway was designated a Canadian Heritage River in recognition of its outstanding historical and recreational values. In 2007 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizing it as a work of human creative genius. The Rideau Canal was recognized as the best preserved example of a slack water canal in North America demonstrating

2162-516: The Chesapeake Affair , when Maritime Confederate sympathizers captured a United States ship, killing an American in the process. American warships entered these waters to recapture the ship. In addition, Confederate John Taylor Wood escaped from Halifax Harbour on the CSS Tallahassee . The Halifax Citadel was constructed to defend against smoothbore weaponry; it became obsolete following

2256-819: The Northwest Arm . They killed two men. ( Map of Halifax Blockhouses ) In 1753, when Lawrence became governor of Nova Scotia, the Mi'kmaq again attacked the sawmills near the South Blockhouse on the Northwest Arm, where they killed three British. The Mi'kmaq made three attempts to retrieve the bodies for their scalps. Prominent Halifax business person Michael Francklin was captured by a Mi'kmaw raiding party in 1754 and held captive for three months. Adult captives were often held for ransom, to be raised by families or local communities The stockaded forts were also instrumental to

2350-410: The American Revolution. Built in 1776, the new fort on Citadel Hill was composed of multiple lines of overlapping earthen redans backing a large outer palisade wall. At the center was a three-story octagonal blockhouse mounting a fourteen-gun battery and accommodating 100 troops. These works required that the hill be cut down by 12 metres (40 feet). The entire fortress mounted 72 guns. Citadel Hill and

2444-621: The British during the French and Indian War (the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War ). British soldiers stationed in Halifax helped conduct the expulsion of the Acadians , as many Acadians were imprisoned on Georges Island in Halifax harbour before their deportation. During the war, the Mi'kmaq and Acadians resisted the British throughout the province. On 2 April 1756, the Mi'kmaq were paid

2538-460: The Canals and Recreational Destinations series. The stamps were designed by Carey George and Dean Martin, based on paintings by Vincent McIndoe. In 2014, the canal appeared on a $ 2.50 international rate stamp as part of a Canada Post set honoring World Heritage Sites. The same design was reprised on a 2016 domestic-rate stamp. In 1993, British Waterways and Parks Canada agreed to twin the canal with

2632-545: The Cataraqui River. The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority administers water management concerns within the Cataraqui River watershed . 44°15′43″N 76°28′02″W  /  44.2619°N 76.46725°W  / 44.2619; -76.46725 Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal is a 202-kilometre long canal that links the Ottawa River at Ottawa with the Cataraqui River and Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario , Canada. Its 46 locks raise boats from

2726-479: The Citadel's role in the history of Halifax and North America. On average, the citadel sees 200,000 visitors annually. A year-round daily ceremonial firing of the noon gun is conducted, as a reminder of the fort's role in the city's history. The artillery is also used for formal occasions such as 21-gun salutes . The "Army Museum", located in the Citadel's Cavalier Block, displays a rare collection of weapons, medals, and uniforms exploring Nova Scotia's army history. It

2820-527: The Commissariat Building has housed the Bytown Museum since 1917. Parliament Hill was intended to be the site of a fortress, to be called Citadel Hill, where the canal ended at the Ottawa River. In winter, a section of the Rideau Canal passing through central Ottawa becomes officially the world's largest and second longest skating rink . The cleared length is 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) and has

2914-578: The Crown throughout and after the American Revolutionary War . Neither French nor American forces attacked Citadel Hill during the American Revolution. But the garrison remained on guard because of the numerous rebel American privateer raids on villages around the province (such as the Raid on Lunenburg ), and the naval battles off the shore of Halifax . By 1784 the fortification was in ruins except for

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3008-605: The French River and Georgian Bay , thereby enabling traffic on the upper Great Lakes to use canals all the way to Montreal and avoid shipping through the entire lakes system. This plan eventually emerged as the Trent-Severn Waterway . It had originally been surveyed as a military route but never built. A simpler plan was to route around the dangerous parts of the St. Lawrence to allow direct shipping from Kingston to Montreal, and this

3102-549: The Great Lakes. It was also used by tens of thousands of immigrants from the British Isles heading westward into Upper Canada in this period. It was a major route for shipping heavy goods (timber, minerals, grain) from Canada's hinterland east to Montreal. Hundreds of barge loads of goods were shipped each year along the Rideau; in 1841, for instance, some 19 steamboats, 3 self-propelled barges, and 157 unpowered or tow barges used

3196-723: The Halifax Army museum. Before the construction of new purpose-built museums, it also served as home to the Nova Scotia Museum and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic . In the 1990s the Citadel was fully restored to its 1869 appearance by Parks Canada. It was common during the early 1980s for restoration workers to place dated coins in mortar or under replaced stones as the walls were rebuilt, these coins were left as an "unofficial" indication of what areas had been worked and when. Much of

3290-472: The Lower, Upper and Big Rideau lakes. About 19 km (12 mi) of the route is artificial. Communities along the waterway include Ottawa , Manotick , Kars , Burritts Rapids , Merrickville , Smiths Falls , Rideau Ferry , Portland , Westport , Newboro , Seeleys Bay and Kingston . Communities connected by navigable waterways to the Rideau Canal include Kemptville and Perth . Since World War I and

3384-468: The NCC. The ideal ("very good") conditions mean there are "a limited number of pressure cracks", the ice is very hard and durable overall, the ice surface is clean and smooth, there are a "limited number of rough areas", and there is a "very good gliding surface." Citadel Hill (Fort George) Citadel Hill is a hill that is a National Historic Site in Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada. Four fortifications have been constructed on Citadel Hill since

3478-695: The Ontario Heritage Foundation at Kingston Mills . Three canal era cemeteries are open to the public today: Chaffey's Cemetery and Memory Wall at Chaffey's Lock—this cemetery was used from 1825 to the late 19th century; the Royal Sappers and Miners Cemetery (originally called the Military and Civilian Cemetery and then as the Old Presbyterian Cemetery) near Newboro—used from 1828 to the 1940s; and McGuigan Cemetery near Merrickville—used from

3572-540: The Ottawa River 83 metres (272 feet) upstream along the Rideau River to the Rideau Lakes , and from there drop 50 metres (164 feet) downstream along the Cataraqui River to Kingston. The Rideau Canal opened in 1832 for commercial shipping. Freight was eventually moved to railways and the St. Lawrence Seaway , but the canal remains in use today for pleasure boating, operated by Parks Canada from May through October. It

3666-668: The Rideau Canal Skateway opens in January and closes in March. Because of global warming , the region's average winter temperature has risen at an accelerating rate since the 1970s, which has gradually pushed back the opening day of skating and shortened the skating season. In 1971–1972, the Skateway's second winter, the skating season was 90 days long, which was its longest season. By 2022–23, warm temperatures combined with snow and rain led to

3760-525: The Rideau Canal was rebranded as "the world's largest skating rink". The Rideau Canal Skateway was added to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2005 for being the largest naturally frozen ice rink in the world. As of 2023, the Streetview feature of Google Maps allows you to "skate" the length of the skateway. The Skateway is open 24 hours a day. The length of the season depends on the weather, but typically

3854-676: The Rideau Canal. The canal had to compete with the Erie Canal through New York State. Some of the shipments that might have been made from Kingston east, instead were taken to the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River to Oswego, New York . There they traveled by the Oswego Canal to reach the Erie and, via the Hudson River , New York City markets. Businessmen in Kingston studied the issue. They considered building another canal to Lake Simcoe and on to

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3948-555: The Rideau forms part of the Great Loop , a major waterway route connecting a large area of the eastern United States and Canada. As many as one thousand of the workers died during the construction of the canal. Most deaths were from disease, principally complications from malaria ( P. vivax ), which was endemic in Ontario within the range of the Anopheles mosquito, and other diseases of

4042-420: The Rideau was not put to defensive use, it played a pivotal role in the early development of Canada and encouraged shipping, trade, and settlement of Upper Canada by tens of thousands of immigrants. The canal was easier to navigate than the St. Lawrence River because of significant rapids in the river between Montreal and Kingston. As a result, the Rideau Canal became a busy commercial artery between Montreal and

4136-403: The Skateway starts as early as mid-October. At the end of the boating season, the water is drained at the Ottawa locks near Parliament by Parks Canada. Facilities on the ice such as shelters, chalets, and access ramps for vehicles are then installed. Next, "beams are placed at the locks, and the water is raised to skating level." After this step, the essentials are added such as stairs to access

4230-412: The St. Lawrence River. In the 1950s it was developed as the current Saint Lawrence Seaway , which allowed ocean-going ships access to the Great Lakes. After the arrival of railway routes into Ottawa, most use of the canal was for pleasure craft. The introduction of the outboard motor led to an increase in small pleasure craft and increasing use of inland waterways like the Rideau and Trent-Severn. Today

4324-480: The afternoon of May 14 aboard the troopship HMS  Crocodile . A total of 765 men disembarked in full dress uniform. The Regiment was divided into two depots and eight service companies, consisting in all of 34 officers, 49 sergeants, 21 drummers, 6 pipers, and 600 rank and file. For two years, the regiment was billeted at the Halifax Citadel and at Wellington Barracks. The latter is now known as Stadacona and

4418-525: The area of the Cataraqui Creek from Upper Brewers to Kingston Mills he had the forests cut down to form a straight channel (this work is visible in the Burrowes paintings of Brewer's Lower Mill shown below). The area was then flooded in late 1831/early 1832 with the completion of canal dams at Kingston Mills , Lower Brewers and Upper Brewers. Today the watershed of the Cataraqui River includes lakes south of

4512-645: The associated harbour defence fortifications afforded the Royal Navy the most secure and strategic base in eastern North America from its Halifax Dockyard commanding the Great Circle Route to western Europe and gave Halifax the nickname "Warden of The North". The massive British military presence in Halifax focused through Citadel Hill and the Royal Navy's dockyard is thought to be one of the main reasons that Nova Scotia—the fourteenth British colony—remained loyal to

4606-658: The blockhouse. During the French Revolutionary Wars , the British Commander-in-Chief, North America , Prince Edward , found the fortifications inadequate for the city's defence. Although plans for the Third Citadel were drafted in 1795, construction for the new fortification did not begin until 1796, after the Second Citadel was dismantled. The French Revolutionary Wars that began in 1793 raised

4700-402: The canal actually opened. Although some residents of Ottawa used the canal as an impromptu skating surface for years, the official use of the canal as a skateway and tourist attraction is a more recent innovation. As recently as 1970, however, city government of Ottawa considered paving over the canal to make an expressway . The federal government's ownership of the canal, however, prevented

4794-423: The canal the first weekend. Today the skating area of the canal is larger because of the equipment available for ice resurfacing and 24/7 maintenance crews. The skateway now has an average of one million visits per year. City councillor and author Clive Doucet credits this transformation of the canal with reinvigorating the communities of the Glebe , Old Ottawa East and Old Ottawa South . The preparation for

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4888-418: The canal's construction was £ 822,804 when all the costs, including land acquisition, were accounted for (January 1834). Because of the unexpected cost overruns, John By was recalled to London and was retired; he received no accolades or recognition for his tremendous accomplishment. Since the canal was completed, no further military engagements have taken place between Canada and the United States. Although

4982-441: The channel of the creek. These two dams made the Cataraqui Flood Plain navigable for the first time. When the Rideau Canal was built, Haskins' dam at Morton was enlarged and a new dam was built at Upper Brewers. Those two dams (managed today by Parks Canada) created Whitefish Lake, Little Cranberry Lake and much expanded Cranberry and Dog lakes. Most of the flow from what was previously the White Fish River watershed now flows down

5076-477: The city from pursuing this proposal. When Doug Fullerton was appointed chair of the National Capital Commission , he proposed a recreational corridor around the canal, including the winter skateway between Carleton University and Confederation Park . The plan was implemented on January 18, 1971, despite opposition by city council . A small section of ice near the National Arts Centre was cleared by NCC employees with brooms and shovels, and 50,000 people skated on

5170-401: The city was founded by the English in 1749, and were referred to as Fort George—but only the third fort (built between 1794 and 1800) was officially named Fort George . According to General Orders of October 20, 1798, it was named after King George III. The first two and the fourth and current fort, were officially called the Halifax Citadel . The last is a concrete star fort . The Citadel is

5264-481: The condition of the Halifax Citadel had deteriorated, and the British built a new one. Although plans were drafted in 1761, construction was delayed due to events of the Seven Years War. Given the threat of attack from rebels in the British Thirteen Colonies after the American Revolutionary War started in 1776, the British constructed the Second Citadel in an enlarged version of the 1761 plans. The first major permanent fortification were completed on Citadel Hill during

5358-425: The construction of more extensive rail lines into rural Ontario, only pleasure craft make use of the Rideau Canal. It takes 3–5 days to travel one way through the Rideau Canal system by motor boat. Boat tours of the canal are offered in Ottawa, Kingston, Merrickville, and Chaffeys Lock. A cruise line operates the ship Kawartha Voyageur . Recreational boaters can use it to travel between Ottawa and Kingston. Most of

5452-525: The continuing Anglo-French rivalry in the region. The English had recruited Protestant settlers from England, the Palatine, and Switzerland, and constructed fortifications to protect them against raids by the French, colonial Acadians, and allies from the Wabanaki Confederacy (primarily the Mi'kmaq). This conflict is known to some historians as Father Le Loutre's War . The war began shortly after Edward Cornwallis , appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, arrived on June 21, 1749, to establish Halifax. He traveled on

5546-449: The country. There were three Internment camps in Nova Scotia: Amherst Internment Camp (April 1915 to September 1919); one on Melville Island in the Northwest Arm of Halifax Harbour, and one in Citadel Hill (Fort George) (September 1914 to October 1918). Unlike the rest of Canada, where internees were mostly of Eastern European origin, the internees in Nova Scotia were mainly ethnic German reservists. Fort George's final military role

5640-408: The current lock station in 1969. The Commissariat Building is the oldest stone building still standing in Ottawa. It was built in 1827 as a storehouse for the British Military in Upper Canada. The building has three floors, a secure vault, two sets of staircases, and a block and tackle on the front for hauling goods into the upper floors. After being divided into workshops and residential apartments,

5734-426: The day. Accidents were fairly rare for a project of this size; in 1827 there were seven accidental deaths recorded. Inquests were held for each accidental death. The men, women and children who died were buried in local cemeteries, either burial grounds set up near work sites or existing local cemeteries. Funerals were held for the workers and the graves marked with wooden markers (which have since rotted away—leading to

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5828-522: The defence system for Canada. To ensure safe passage between Montreal and Kingston, a new route was planned that would proceed westward from Montreal along the St. Lawrence, north along the Ottawa River to the mouth of the Rideau River, later the site of Bytown (now Ottawa ), then southwest via canal to Kingston and out into Lake Ontario. The Rideau would form the last portion of this route, along with shorter canals at Grenville , Chute-à-Blondeau and Carillon to bypass rapids and other hazards along

5922-429: The early 1800s with the building of a mill dam by Lemuel Haskins at White Fish Falls, near today's village of Morton. That dam retarded the outflow of the White Fish River to the Gananoque, backed it up over the Cranberry Flood Plain, sending water south to the Cataraqui River. To stop the escape of his mill water down Cataraqui Creek, Haskins built a second dam at the Round Tail (just north of Upper Brewers) which blocked

6016-438: The early 19th century (c. 1805) to the late 1890s. The Rideau Canal was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1925, and marked with a federal plaque the next year, and again in 1962 and 2013. The canal has been featured on postage stamps issued by Canada Post . Two 45-cent stamps—'Rideau Canal, Summer Boating at Jones Falls' and 'Rideau Canal, Winter Skating by Parliament' —were issued on June 17, 1998, as part of

6110-420: The east slope of Citadel Hill on Barrack (now Brunswick) Street. It continues to keep time for the community in the 21st century. Nova Scotia's first Tel-graph system developed to pass on news of approaching ships to the Citadel and extended to Annapolis Royal. This system of flag communications begins at the Camperdown Signal Station , just north of Duncan's Cove. The Third Citadel received hasty repairs and

6204-425: The equivalent surface area of 90 Olympic ice hockey rinks . It runs from the Hartwells Lockstation at Carleton University to the locks between the Parliament Buildings and the Château Laurier , including Dow's Lake in between. It serves as a popular tourist attraction and recreational area and is also the focus of the Winterlude festival in Ottawa. In the Winter of 2022-2023, unseasonably warm weather prevented

6298-403: The first ever season with zero skating days. Before then, the 2015–2016 season was the shortest in which the Skateway was opened, being a mere 34 days long (and with only 18 skating days). On January 21, 2024, the canal opened for the first time in nearly two years, yet was only open for 10 days of skating before it closed for the season on February 25, marking the shortest skating season in which

6392-408: The fort and leveling Citadel Hill to provide parking and encourage development. But recognition of the fort's historical significance and tourism potential led to the fort's preservation and gradual restoration. Historian Harry Piers conducted research that supported this case and helped raise funds to restore the Citadel. In 1956, the partially restored fort opened as a historic site and home to

6486-492: The fort in the weeks leading up to Halloween. On top of the Citadel itself, the historic site houses additional historical experiences for its visitors. The first of which, is the Army Museum located within the walls of the citadel itself. This museum, while situated within the larger historical site, is a community ran operation, which focuses on Nova Scotia's military past via the presentation of various artefacts, photographs and documentation. The Army museum primarily focuses on

6580-500: The fortified summit of Citadel Hill. The hill was first fortified in 1749, the year that Edward Cornwallis oversaw the development of the town of Halifax. Those fortifications were successively rebuilt to defend the town from various enemies. Construction and leveling have lowered the summit by ten to twelve metres. While never attacked, the Citadel was long the keystone to defence of the strategically important Halifax Harbour and its Royal Navy Dockyard . Today, Parks Canada operates

6674-441: The histories of Nova Scotian involvement in the Frist and the Second World wars. Additionally, in the national heritage cite there is a signature exhibit - Fortress Halifax, a 550 square meter exhibit housed within the fort, which focuses primarily on the forces that shaped the region from the pre-colonial to the contemporary period. The exhibit includes several interactive elements ranging from their animated digital touch table, to

6768-467: The ice cap. The other type of ice is called "clear ice", which has a colourless appearance and is formed when ice crystals build up below the frozen surface in cold temperatures. If snow accumulates on the ice it can negatively impact the conditions for skating. Snow depresses the ice surface and slows down the formation of ice crystals beneath the surface. Ice conditions can be classified as very good, good, fair or poor. They are updated twice daily by

6862-410: The ice, and hookups for both plumbing and electricity. The ice cap that forms as the canal freezes becomes the Rideau Canal Skateway. When the canal has built up a sufficient ice thickness, snow is removed from the ice surface and it is flooded in order to make the ice even more thick and smooth. Samples of ice are tested for quality and thickness. When it is safe to skate on, the Rideau Canal Skateway

6956-449: The introduction of more powerful rifled guns in the 1860s. British forces upgraded Fort George's armaments to permit it to defend the harbour as well as land approaches, using heavier and more accurate long-range artillery. The Citadel's two large ammunition magazines also served as the central explosive store for Halifax defences, making Citadel Hill, according to the historian and novelist Thomas Head Raddall , "like Vesuvius over Pompeii,

7050-477: The locks are still hand-operated. There are a total of 45 locks at 23 stations along the canal, plus two locks (locks 33 and 34) at the entrance to the Tay Canal (leading to Perth). The elevation between the Ottawa River and its summit at Upper Rideau Lake, is 83 metres (273 feet), the elevation change from Upper Rideau Lake to Lake Ontario is 50 metres (164 feet). Furthermore, there are four blockhouses and some of

7144-587: The old city, which was protected by five stockaded forts. The others were Horsemans Fort, Cornwallis Fort, Fort Lutrell, and Grenadier Fort. The British also built Fort Charlotte - named after King George's wife Charlotte - on Georges Island in 1750. The fortified city walls, guarded by five stockaded forts to protect against Mi'kmaq, Acadian, and French attacks, was the centre of a network of fortifications Cornwallis built. Others included Bedford ( Fort Sackville ) (1749), Dartmouth (1750), Lunenburg (1753) and Lawrencetown (1754). During Father Le Loutre's War ,

7238-479: The opening of the Skateway for Winterlude. Beaver Tails , a fried dough pastry, are sold along with other snacks and beverages, in kiosks on the skateway. Kiosks were removed in early 2023 due to the resulting lack of tourism. In January 2008, Winnipeg , Manitoba , achieved the record of the world's longest skating rink at a length of 8.54 kilometres but with a width of only 2 to 3 metres wide on its Assiniboine River and Red River at The Forks . In response,

7332-618: The original 16 defensible lockmasters residences along the waterway. The original Commissariat Building and foundation of the Royal Engineers' barracks remain at the Ottawa Lock Station. The waterway is home to many species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and fish. In 1973–74 a new Smiths Falls Combined Lock, 29a, was built a few dozen metres to the north of the original flight of three locks (locks 28–30). The original locks were bypassed but left in place. The Rideau Canal uses

7426-501: The original dimension, angles and material with 200 mm (8 in) thick staggered layers of sod secured by 300–410 mm (12–16 in) cedar spikes. The site continues to be managed by Parks Canada . The fort is amongst the most visited National Historic Sites in Atlantic Canada . The grounds of the Halifax Citadel are open year round. From spring to fall, a living history program features animators (re-enactors) portraying

7520-518: The outline of the final Citadel, comprising four bastions surrounding a central barracks and magazine, but used mainly earthwork walls. One bastion was constructed by Jamaican Maroons , who were transported from the Caribbean. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent commissioned the Halifax Town Clock in 1800 prior to his return to England. The Halifax Town Clock opened on 20 October 1803, at a location on

7614-564: The planned route for the Canal. However, Richmond had been bitten by a fox, and died in a settlement near Richmond after experiencing symptoms of rabies. Richmond had earlier convinced the Duke of Wellington , at the time Master-General of the Ordnance , to become interested in the project. On 1 March, 1819, Wellington wrote a memorandum which, in part, advocated that the Rideau Canal should be built as part of

7708-979: The regiment set sail for Ireland on board the troopship Orontes . With them went 17 young Nova Scotian women who had married members of the regiment. Citadel Hill's various fortifications were garrisoned by the British Army until 1906, and afterward by the Canadian Army throughout the First World War . It was never attacked. When the Great War began in 1914, there was widespread suspicion in Canada that immigrants from enemy countries might be disloyal. The federal government passed regulations allowing it to monitor and intern anyone who had not become naturalized British subjects. These people were labelled "enemy aliens." In total 8,579 men were held as prisoners of war in 24 camps across

7802-435: The restoration work involved removing stone and breaking down walls, re-engineering, installing 100 mm (4 in) PVC conduits for wiring and waterproofing, then restoring each stone to its original location. The mortar used for re-pointing and techniques were correct to the origin, although modern material of the era were used inside the walls along with plasticised cements. Even the tops of wall were deliberately shaped to

7896-525: The route. The construction of the canal was supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers . Private contractors such as future sugar refining entrepreneur John Redpath , Thomas McKay , Robert Drummond , Thomas Phillips, Andrew White and others were responsible for much of the construction, and the majority of the actual work was done by thousands of Irish , Scottish , and French-Canadian labourers. Colonel John By decided to create

7990-402: The side of the Skateway that flood the ice surface to make it smoother for skaters. Two types of ice can form on the Rideau Canal Skateway, which are "white ice" and " clear ice ". White ice has a milky appearance with air bubbles, and is formed when snow and water mix and then freeze. White ice can also be formed by mechanically flooding the ice surface with water to increase the thickness of

8084-691: The site as the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site of Canada. It has restored the fort to its appearance when built in the Victorian era . The English founded Halifax in 1749 to establish a presence in Nova Scotia as a counterbalance to the French stronghold of Louisbourg , which the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) had returned to France. Halifax was a strategic centre during the next decade in

8178-526: The soldiers guarding Halifax were constantly on alert. The Mi'kmaq and Acadians raided the capital region (Halifax and Dartmouth) 12 times, four times against Halifax itself. The worst of these raids was what the British call the Dartmouth Massacre (1751) . The first raid was in July 1750: the Mi'kmaq scalped Cornwallis' gardener, his son, and four others whom they had caught in the woods near Halifax. They buried

8272-481: The son, left the gardener's body exposed, and carried off the other four bodies. In 1751, two attacks were made on blockhouses surrounding Halifax. The Mi'kmaq attacked the North Blockhouse (located at the north end of Joseph Howe Drive) and killed the men on guard. They also attacked near the South Blockhouse (located at the south end of Joseph Howe Drive), at a sawmill on a stream flowing from Chocolate Lake into

8366-568: The top is made of stone slabs topped with gravel, then dirt and sod. The intention was that gravel would act as shrapnel. Between 1820 and 1831, the British had constructed a similar, albeit larger, citadel in Quebec City known as the Citadel of Quebec . The soldiers at the Halifax Citadel were on alert when Nova Scotia became the site of two international incidents during the American Civil War :

8460-410: The use of European slackwater technology in North America on a large scale. It is the only canal dating from the great North American canal-building era of the early 19th century that remains operational along its original line with most of its original structures intact. It was also recognized as an extensive, well preserved and significant example of a canal which was used for military purposes linked to

8554-656: The watershed divide at Newboro , such as Sand, Opinicon, Clear and Newboro. However, in the pre-canal era, water from those lakes flowed into the White Fish River which drained to the Gananoque River rather than the Cataraqui River. The section between those two rivers was the Cranberry Flood Plain; the only water contribution from the White Fish River to the Cataraqui was in times of spring flood. This changed in

8648-480: Was not completed until in 1856, during the Victorian Era , for a total of 28 years of construction. This massive masonry-construction fort was designed to repel both a land-based attack or attack from the water by United States forces and was inspired by the designs of Louis XIV's commissary of fortifications Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban . It was a star-shaped hillock citadel with internal courtyard and

8742-507: Was soon underway. By 1849, the rapids of the St. Lawrence were made navigable by a series of locks, and commercial shippers were quick to switch to this more direct route. But commercial use of the Rideau largely ended after the Prescott and Bytown Railway was opened in December 1854. It provided faster service than shipping by the canal. Further work improving the direct route continued along

8836-575: Was to provide temporary barracks, signaling, and the central coordinating point for the city's anti-aircraft defences during the Second World War. In 1935, the hill and fortifications were designated a National Historic Site and received some stabilization as a works project during the Depression. The fort was not restored and began to decay after the end of the Second World War. In the late 1940s, Halifax downtown business interests advocated demolishing

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