Special view of Lachine Canal One more to come tomorrow with this Monk Park series Vue spécial du fameux canal Lachine Une autre demain pour conclure la série Parc Monk Canal History In 1689, Dollier de Casson, first Superior of the Sulpiciens religious order, imagined a canal that would enable sailors to bypass the dangerous rapids. The actual Lachine Canal, however, only opened in 1825. Over 1500 men, most of them Irish, worked hard to facilitate westbound navigation. 8.5 miles long, it was widened twice, in 1843 and 1873. The first canal is now known as "the small Canal". The origins of the Lachine Canal date back to 1670, when François de Salignac Fénélon suggested digging a canal between Montréal and Lachine. In 1680, François Dollier de Casson, first Superior of the Sulpiciens, asserted that such a Canal would supply water to Montréal's mills while simultaneously facilitating westbound navigation. These men's dream, however, would have to wait until the beginning of the 19th century to become a reality. At a time when trade in wheat and wood gradually supplanted that of fur, the Lachine Canal became an urgent need for Montréalers merchants who wanted to make their city a main entranceway into the continent. From 1819 to 1821, following an initiative by John Richardson, a well known merchant and founder of the Bank of Montréal, seven of Montréal's most influential businessmen banded together to form the Company of the Proprietors of the Lachine Canal, with engineer Thomas Burnett trying to sell shares for the construction of the Canal. Unfortunately, the venture failed. The government took over the project and created a Commission presided by Richardson; several members of the Company of the Proprietors of the Lachine Canal were also included, and Thomas Burnett remained the project's chief engineer. Construction began in July 1821, and the Canal opened in August 1824. Five hundred workers, most of them Irish, dug the 13 kilometers of the Canal and built the 7 locks (only 5 remain today) between Montréal and the village of Lachine, an important fur trading post. The Canal, originally built for small, flat-bottomed boats, will be widened twice, once in 1843 and once in 1875, to accommodate steam ships and larger vessels. It is fair to say that modern-day Lachine owes its current location to the Canal. Until the middle of the 19th century, activities were focused east of the Canadian Pacific bridge, in what is now known as LaSalle. The construction of the Canal contributed to the relocation of the population on the shores of the Canal. After the first widening, the original Canal became known as the small canal. It was no longer going to be used, except for mooring row boats. After the second widening, the heart of the area began to beat to the rhythms of industrial production. Thanks to the Canal, Montréal's South-West became Canada's most important industrial concentration. On the eve of the economic crash, close to 15 000 ships sailed the Canal annually. Supplanted by the St. Lawrence waterway open in 1959, the Canal closed to shipping in 1970. From 1959 to 1973, Lachine experienced a period of transition. After 150 years of relying on the Canal for its livelihood, the municipality found strength in its heritage and its exceptional geographical location on the shores of Lake Saint-Louis. Today, a bicycle and pedestrian pathway stretches along the shores and the Canal has been reopened to sailing since 2002. Thanks Magik