Canals

The earliest canal in Canada and in North America was that at

Lachine, which dates back to the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Between 1779 and 1783, lock canals were built by the Royal Engineers, at

the Coteau and the Cascades, on the St. Lawrence. In 1798 a boat canal

was built at Sault Ste. Marie by the North West Company. A canal to

connect the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain was advocated as early as

1775, by Silas Deane of Connecticut, but was not actually undertaken

until 1831. The Welland Canal was commenced in 1824; and the Rideau

Canal two years later. These artificial waterways of Canada are

controlled by the Department of Railways and Canals, of the Dominion

government. =Index=: (General Brock era) First in American continent made in Canada,

48. (Baldwin / La Fontaine / Hincks era) Construction and improvement of, provided for by government in

1841, 98; completion of St. Lawrence canals, 286-287. (George Brown Era) Improvement

of, advocated by George Brown, 61; extension of, approved by Quebec

Conference, 166; enlargement of, suggested by Fish, United States

secretary of state, in 1874, 227. (John Graves Simcoe era) Four made at different points on

St. Lawrence, 112. (Louis Joseph Papineau era) Opposed by Papineau, 172. See also Waterways;

and under names of individual canals, as Lachine; Rideau; Welland, etc.