Following the War of 1812 surveys were carried out to identify a second, safe, route from Montreal to the Great Lakes. The decision was to follow the Ottawa River from Montreal to the mouth of the Rideau River, at present day Ottawa, then travel south along the Rideau and through a series of small lakes to the Cataraqui River which emptied into Lake Ontario at Kingston. Unfortunately, the route selected was navigable only in parts and to use it for boats larger than a canoe necessitated the construction of a series of locks between Ottawa to Kingston. Given the expense of such an undertaking, the project met with little enthusiasm with the British authorities, especially since relations with the United States had returned to normal after the war.

A champion of the building of a canal arose in the person of the Duke of Wellington, famous as the victor over Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo and an influential voice in British politics. The result of his support was the appointment of Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers to oversee the task of making the Rideau-Catarqui route into a navigable waterway.

By arrived in Canada in 1826 and set up his headquarters near the mouth of the Rideau River. This was the origin of the settlement that was known for many years as Bytown and that eventually was renamed Ottawa. The overall design involved a series of dams and associated locks which would enable boats to travel without impediment from Bytown to Kingston. The original plan for the canal called for the construction of locks that could handle small barges. With considerable foresight, Colonel By boldly advocated a system of much larger locks. He finally persuaded his superiors to authorize the construction of locks with a minimum size of 134 feet long and 33 feet wide, large enough to accommodate the new steamboats which were beginning to appear on the Great Lakes.

The construction of the canal - built in virgin forest with all work being done by hand - caused great hardship to its Irish labourers, many of whom died of malaria. Finished in 1832 after 5 summer working seasons, with up to 2000 men being employed by the Royal Engineers and appointed contractors, the canal ranks among the greatest early civil-engineering works of North America. Lieutenant-Colonel By located his headquarters at the junction of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers and started a small settlement, first named Bytown in his honour but renamed OTTAWA in 1855.

Although it carried freight and passengers in small steamboats for a century, the Rideau Canal was never economically viable, and is now used entirely by pleasure craft. Most of the original locks and canal cuts are still in use, and, except for 3 hydraulic locks, all are still operated by the muscle power of lock staff cranking the distinctive "crab" winches. Its stone walls, ponds and bridges have preserved a quiet beauty along its course through the city of Ottawa, and in the wintertime it provides one of the world's most famous skating rinks. In 1926, 100 years after the beginning of the canal's construction, it was designated a national historic site. In 2000 it became part of the CANADIAN HERITAGE RIVERS SYSTEM.

Even before the decline of local commercial traffic, a new role for the Rideau Canal had

begun to emerge. The natural beauty of much of the area through which the canal passes, along with the promise of excellent sports fishing, hunting and recreational boating stimulated the development of the tourism industry in the area and, by the end of the 19th century, hotels and private cottages made their appearance along the canal. The years since then have seen a massive expansion of the recreational use of the Rideau. Further, in more recent times, the historical value of the canal has become recognised. Declared by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to be of national historic significance, the canal attracts thousands of visitors every year, anxious to learn about this remarkable engineering achievement and its role in the development of Canada.