Rideau Canal

per person

The Rideau Canal, also known unofficially as the Rideau Waterway, is 202 kilometres long and connects Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston.

The name Rideau, French for « curtain », is derived from the curtain-like appearance of the Rideau River’s twin waterfalls where they join the Ottawa River. The canal system uses sections of two rivers, the Rideau and the Cataraqui, as well as several lakes. Parks Canada operates the Rideau Canal.

Why is Rideau Canal famous ?

The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures intact. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America.In 2007, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.