History of the Rideau Canal

The walk will focus on the history of the Rideau Canal as well as the history of the people who built the canal and those who lived in proximity to it. how and why it was built, who built it, and events that occurred in the area of the canal. Beginning with the use of the Ottawa River by indigenous peoples, we will go on to talk about Col. John By as well as the French Canadian and Irish workers, how they lived and the dangers of working on the canal. Early settlements along the canal included the shantytown of Corktown and the village of Neville's Creek.

Particular sites and events of note:

• the eight locks that connect the canal to the Ottawa river
• the oldest building in Ottawa (Bytown Museum)
• Ottawa's original central railway station.
• the ruins of the Sappers' Bridge and the riots that occurred there
• the typhus epidemic of 1847 and the spot where the fever sheds were located (where hundreds died).
• the opening of the Rideau Canal skateway and the challenges in maintaining the skateway in the face of climate change
• the Corktown pedestrian bridge
• the Rideau Canal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• the effects of increased development in the heritage neighbourhood beside the canal because of the proximity of the Campus LRT station.