Plan to build locks on the Ottawa River..
Michael McGoldrick
The Saturday (April 29) edition of the Ottawa Citizen had an
interesting article about a plan to build four locks on the
Ottawa River between Britannia and the Parliament Buildings.
This would allow for navigable access between the Lac Deschenes
and the rest of the world. Boats could use the locks to head
down to the St. Lawrence River, or hang a left into the Rideau
canal system and head towards Lake Ontario.
The article suggests that the plan is part of The Lake
Temiskaming-Ottawa River Waterway Project. This project
currently operates a system of trucks and trailers which allow
recreational boats to bypass dams and rapids further upriver
(Arnprior to Lake Temiskaming). It is designed primarily for
powerboats and it is intended to promote tourism further
upriver. The Citizen article indicates that the system of
trucks and tailers is impractical in a large urban environment,
so people are talking about building the necessary locks.
The article reports that Heritage Minister Sheila Copps has
agreed to be the "shaker and mover" for the plan, and that
preliminary estimates suggest that $70 million would be needed
to build the locks. However, the article is vague on any other
details. It states that the necessary feasibility study has
yet to be approved and there's no timetable for the plan to
build the locks.
A series of locks between Britannia and the Parliament
Buildings would be great news for sailors on the Lac Deschenes
who dream of navigable access to the St. Lawrence or Lake
Ontario. However, this would be offset by the fact that the
Lake Temiskaming-Ottawa River Waterway Project is primarily
aimed at powerboaters. A major increase in powerboat traffic
would have a significant impact on the current recreational
use of the Ottawa River. In the past, the backers of the
waterway project have speculated on the need for a huge
marina in the Lac Deschenes area to handle the large
number of transient powerboaters heading upriver.
An online version of te article is available at the Ottawa
Citizen web site at:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/city/000429/4015514.html
--
Michael McGoldrick at: ~ /|\
ab...@freenet.carleton.ca / | \ ~
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ~ /__|__\
ORSP: http://www.magma.ca/~mcsail/ott/ottawa.htm ---- \________/ ------
Pete Hodgins
> ~] Ontario. However, this would be offset by the fact that the
>
> I can say that almost every bridge would have to be modified for all
> except low ski boats.
An interesting if perhaps too-personal bit of history: about 15-20
years ago I looked into this old concept and concluded that, realistical-
ly, there would never be either justification for or acceptance of a canal
following the Ottawa River's course through the middle of town, with its
quite numerous low bridges. However, Highway 416 not yet having been even
a gleam in the politicians' eyes, it then looked marginally worthwhile to
consider utilizing the existing Rideau route to the Jock River, and to
follow the latter westerly until reaching the headwaters of some creek
draining into Lac Deschenes. I suggested a study of this nature to the
NCC, but received a snarky reply saying that that organization is not in
the business of further pampering the wealthy people who own boats.
Now I notice that the NCC is directly involved in this wild scheme
to push a direct canal link through the middle of town! At the same time,
the Jock River alternative has been made less feasible by additional con-
struction, over the years ... I expect nothing will be done, in the end.
> I would suggest that Chat's Falls Dam be the first project, with
> provision for fixed keel sailcraft (Chat's Lake looks nice and big - I
> don't know about depth). One short rail bridge (active) above the dam
> would require modification. And that rock garden would need channel
> marking. Would *making* a straight-ish channel into Pontiac Bay to a
> lock/trailer be offensive, environmentally or aesthetically? I guess it
> would add through traffic to what is now a quiet anchorage. Perhaps the
> rocky south side of the gates would be better.
It's another tribute to bad (and largely political) planning, or
whatever, that a fortune was spent in forcing a short canal through the
hard granitic formation between Lacs Deschenes and des Chats - only to be
solidly plugged with concrete at its top end by Ontario Hydro, in conjunc-
tion with their power-dam construction. However, the tough work done
before the canal company went bankrupt in the Great Depression will give a
considerable lead to future work ... if only that advantage won't simply
be thrown away. Even the original design drawings, circa 1920 I think, may
still be available, probably at the Chats site Hydro office if not in the
National Archives.
There's also that scheme of trailering vessels around the Ottawa's
dams/waterfalls/rapids. If the will existed, by that means boats could
travel from tidewater right up to Temiscamingue as early as this autumn,
at a guess. In the city section such a system should probably remain in
place indefinitely, now that we've let Highway 416 and other recent
construction gum up the only realistic canalization option there's been in
many decades.
On the other hand, reviving the canal project between Deschenes
and des Chats looks comparatively practicable within perhaps 2-3 years.
Anyway, nobody has yet built a superhighway across that canal route.
Incidentally, I don't intend to write these thoughts to The
Citizen - but if anyone feels they're worth passing along, be my guest!
Pete Hodgins Sr. (Civil Engineer, retired)
Chris Locke
>down to the St. Lawrence River, or hang a left into the Rideau
Left?
Port, Starboard, Whatever ... <g>
cl
Michael McGoldrick
I was thinking that after passing through a brand new locking
facility, I would looking aft (standing backwards in my cockpit).
Hence, the entrance to the Rideau Canal system would be on my left.
So there... that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. ;-)
--
Michael McGoldrick,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, e-mail: mcs...@magma.ca
ORCA: http://www.magma.ca/~mcsail/ott/ottawa.htm