Yesterday we took the scenic route from Kingston to Ottawa through cottage country and stopped off at Jones Falls Locks which is part of the Rideau Canal that links Ottawa and Kingston. Before I get into any boring history I'm just going to say that it was very cool and quite beautiful.
I'm having a bit of trouble with this as the literature says that 'The Rideau Canal is the best-preserved 'slackwater' canal in North America' and I'm unable to find an adequate definition of slackwater. Basically I think that it's a river where all the rapids and waterfalls and other dangerous, unnavigable bits have been replaced with locks so you end up with a stretch of water with no excessive currents that is accessible to shipping. It is very different on the map to a quintessential British canal as it just looks like a river with all the wiggles and lakes in tact.
Anyway, as it is still in use as a recreational waterway it's looked after by Parks Canada. At Jones Falls there were footpaths and bathrooms and a tiny interpretation centre and as it is a bit out of the way there was nobody there apart from the people with boats going through the locks, it was lovely. My words are getting boring so here's a few pictures.
These locks were built between 1827 and 1832 and all the Victorian technology is still intact and in use. Parks Canada even supply 2 strapping young men to do all the muscle work with this ginormous winding equipment, how considerate!
We also found some fake wildlife. Don't be fooled by the smiley face, the incessant moaning by both children made me wish we didn't have to bring them.
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