Canal Lachine-2 by MagikUnicorn

Photography • Historical • posted on Jul 05, 2014

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Description

The Lachine Canal is a through the southwest section of the island of Montreal between Lake Saint-Louis and the Old Port channel. He played an important role in the development of the city and was designated as a national historic site of Canada in 1996. A bicycle and pedestrian today along the banks, and the channel is reopened to boating since 2002. From the seventeenth century, the Government of the French colony planning a canal in the valley of Saint-Pierre River to bypass the Lachine Rapids. The construction business in 1670. Sulpician The Montreal wanting install flour mills, their superior, François de Salignac Fenelon, had the idea of channeling the Otter Lake to have the energy to run the mills and also to be able to transport materials from one point to another without the fearsome rapids. In June 1689 construction began, but was stopped abruptly in August by an Indian attack. In October 1700, Gideon Catalonia, an engineer, was hired to dig the canal. The project had to be abandoned after the death of Francis Dollier Casson, successor of Fenelon, who had revived the idea again. The canal was dug up what is now Old Montreal. There were other attempts, but ultimately, it is in 1821, following pressure from Montreal merchants, the construction has begun. A large workforce, mainly composed of Irish workers is put to use, and opens the channel in 1825. Channel has five locks 14.5 km, to take a drop of 14 meters. Its depth is 1.4 meters then. The channel is doubled in width and depth between 1843 and 1848. The driving force of the water is then sold in the form of "water lots," which quickly attracts various industries in the area. This infrastructure plays an important role in the economic development of Montreal, as neighboring businesses employ nearly 25,000 workers at its peak. In 1875, the channel is Regrooved to its current size of 4.3 meters. Upstaged after the opening of the Seaway St. Lawrence River, which takes place in 1959, it was finally in 1970 that the channel closes its doors to the navigation. Current already begun since the 1960s, many industries are closing their doors and nearly 20,000 people unemployed. The channel is reopened for boating in 2002.