The Sault Ste. Marie Canal is a National Historic Site in Sault Ste. Marie,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, and is part of the national park system, managed by Parks Canada. It includes a

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

to bypass the rapids on the St. Marys River. The first canal near the site was built in 1798, but was destroyed in 1814 during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. The present canal dates to 1895, and formed part of the

shipping route A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels (ships) on wide waterways such as oceans and large lakes, and is preferably safe, direct and economic. During the Age of Sail, they were determined ...

from the Atlantic Ocean to

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

, along with the two locks on the US side of the river. One of the walls of the lock collapsed in 1987 and the canal was closed to traffic. In 1998 a smaller lock was opened within the original canal. It is suitable for smaller boats and mostly used for pleasure craft.

History

The first lock was completed in 1798 by the North West Company. On July 20, 1814, an American force destroyed the North West Company depot on the north shore of the St. Marys River. Since the Americans were unable to capture

Fort Michilimackinac Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th-century French, and later British, fort and trading post at the Straits of Mackinac; it was built on the northern tip of the lower peninsula of the present-day state of Michigan in the United States. Built aroun ...

, the British forces retained control of the Sault. The lock was destroyed in 1814 in an attack by U.S. forces during the

.Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada - The Fur Traders' Canal
In 1870, the United States refused the steamer

Chicora Chicora was a legendary Native American kingdom or tribe sought during the 16th century by various European explorers in present-day South Carolina. The legend originated after Spanish slave traders captured an Indian they called Francisco de C ...

, carrying Colonel

Garnet Wolseley Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, (4 June 183325 March 1913), was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He became one of the most influential and admired British generals after a series of successes in Canada, W ...

permission to pass through the locks at Sault Ste Marie. The

Wolseley Expedition The Wolseley expedition was a military force authorized by Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald to confront Louis Riel and the Métis in 1870, during the Red River Rebellion, at the Red River Colony in what is now the province of Manitob ...

incident led to the construction of a Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal, which was completed in 1895.Mary Ellen Perkins (ed.) 'Discover your heritage: A Guide to Provincial Plaques in Ontario' Natural Heritage (Jun 30 1989) - plaque near Canadian locks, Huron Street, Saint Ste. Marie This event is now known as the Chicora Incident. The construction of the canal and lock was completed in 1895. At that time it was the largest lock and first electrically operated lock in the world. The canal is about long and originally the lock portion was long and wide.Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada, Natural Wonders & Cultural Treasures
, Parks Canada. On June 9, 1909, the locks were seriously damaged when the ''Perry G. Walker'', owned by the Gilchrist Transportation Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, crashed into the south main gate, forcing it back and allowing the force of water to push the north main gate over. The rush of water threw the ''Perry G. Walker'' back and carried two other ships downstream, one of which struck the south main gate, breaking it diagonally in two.Parks Canada A Unique Bridge - Found Only in Canada!
/ref> The rush of water through the destroyed locks was stopped by activation of the Emergency Swing Dam, allowing repairs to commence. Amazingly, there was no loss of life or injury associated with this disaster, and repairs required only 12 days, with the bridge reopening on June 21, 1909. Due to a wall failure in 1987, the historic lock was shut down indefinitely. A new lock, built within the old lock, was opened in 1998 and is long, wide, deep, with a draft. The canal is used for recreational and tour boats; major shipping traffic uses the U.S. locks.

Heritage Designation

The canal was designated a National Historic Site in 1987, and is managed by Parks Canada as a unit of the national park system. It welcomes recreational boating and land-based visitors. There are several

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physica ...

buildings on the site: the administration building, the superintendent's residence, the canalmen's shelter, the powerhouse and the blacksmith shop, all constructed from red

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

dug up during the canal's construction. Most of the original machinery used to operate the lock is also still in place. Another unique feature of the site is the Sault Canal Emergency Swing Dam, the only emergency swing dam left in existence, and the only one to ever be used in an emergency. Guided tours are available in the summer only. The visitor centre is open Mid-June to Mid-October. The Red River Expedition of 1870, a National Historic Event, portaged nearby, prior to the canal's construction, and was the major reason for its creation. File:SaultSteMarieCanalLock.jpg, Approaching the open lock from downstream. Image:SaultSteMarieCanal AdminBldg.jpg, The Administration Building was completed in 1895 - 1896. File:Sault Canal power house 10.JPG, The powerhouse File:Sault Ste Marie Canal superintendent's house 1.JPG, The superintendent's house in winter File:Sault Canal workshop 1.JPG, The workshop File:Sault Ste Marie Canal emergency swing dam 3.JPG, The emergency swing dam, with the International Bridge and

International Railroad Bridge The International Railway Bridge is a two-span swing bridge carrying the Stamford Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, United States. It was originall ...

in the background File:Whitefish Pond and Sault International Bridge 2.JPG, Ponds with '' Brasenia schreberi'' along the Attikamek Trail File:Attikamek Boardwalk and Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge.jpg, Boardwalk along the Attikamek Trail

References

External links

Official Sault Ste. Marie Canal website
{{Authority control St. Marys River (Michigan–Ontario) Canals in Ontario Ship canals Great Lakes Waterway National Historic Sites in Ontario Transport museums in Ontario Canal museums Museums in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Buildings and structures in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canals opened in 1895 1895 establishments in Ontario North West Company

History

Heritage Designation

See also

References

External links