The Rideau Waterway
Text from the plaque
Constructed 1826-32 by the British government for military purposes, but used principally for commerce, the Rideau waterway, together with the lower Ottawa River, was the first canalized route from Montreal to the Great Lakes. Although eastbound traffic continued to use the St. Lawrence, westbound traffic, including many thousands of immigrants, utilized the new route to avoid the hazards and delays of upstream navigation on that river. With the completion, in 1846, of the St. Lawrence canals, use of the Rideau as a commercial thoroughfare declined sharply. However, it remained vitally important to the region by providing its agriculture and industry with economic access to markets. In time the Rideau became one of Ontario's major recreational waterways.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The County of Lanark
The Township of Lanark Highlands
Next to Maple Heritage Museum at Wheelers Pancake House
1001 Highland Line, 3.7 km south and east of
McDonalds Corners Road (Road 12)
Also recorded for this place: The County of Lanark
N 44 55.623 W 76 32.540
Recorded August 2012. Check current access before visiting.
Visitors' notes
August 21, 2012
This plaque was unveiled on October 17, 2009, one of three locations chosen to honour maple products as a National Historic Event. The other plaques can be found in Plessisville and Saint-Hilaire, Quebec. -Wayne