It's sunrise at Jones Falls, my last stop on the historic Rideau Canal Waterway. The air is cool, the stillness intoxicating. I poke my head up through the big front hatch of Lulu, my little houseboat, and drink it in. An egret stares at me, then resumes its stoic stance while waiting for breakfast to swim into range.
It's been five days since I began my ride down the Rideau, gliding through the pastoral beauty of southeastern Ontario, with its fertile farms, tree-lined river banks and wide lakes. It's home to friendly hamlets and friendlier people, especially the crews staffing the locks, who are invariably patient and kind with boaters new to the ins and outs of locking.
Two major events have made this year a special one for waterway: its 175th anniversary - making it the oldest such system in continuous use in North America - and its designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The UN body described it as "the best preserved canal in North America from the great canal-building era of the early 19th century to remain operational along its original line with most of its original structures intact."
Of course, the 202-km waterway itself predates its modern incarnation: Canada's native people used it for centuries before it was "discovered" by European explorers. But the natives were travelling by canoe, and portaging around waterfalls when necessary.
The 47 locks - designed and built by the British following the war of 1812 as a secure method to transport troops and materiel between Kingston, Ont., and Ottawa should hostilities resume with the United States - stand as a testament to the power of gravity and the ingenuity of engineers dating back to 10th-century China. The labourers who excavated them and the masons who built them to such fine tolerances battled harsh elements and disease to create structures that have stood the test of time.
Happily, nary a shot was fired from their "defensible" structures at the lock stations and soon the waterway became an economic artery for the province's rapidly growing industrial base. The expansion of the railways ended that use, but the waterway evolved into a destination for recreational boaters from across the continent.
Day 1
Ottawa to Kemptville
Leaving the stifling humidity of Ottawa behind, the first day's cruise is an easy one. I am joined by an old friend, Gary Dean, who crews as far as Manotick, about 30 kilometres down the Rideau River. After buying a six-day pass to cover the cost of the locks - dockage space at the locks is extra, based on the length of the boat - we meander at a leisurely 12 km/h before stopping for a late lunch at Kelly's Landing , a pleasant little bistro right on the waterway with docks for passing boaters. We're joined by Gary's wife, Marcia, who has driven down from Ottawa to give him a lift home. I fill up my fuel tanks at the adjacent gas station and wander downstream a bit farther to Pirate Cove Marina in Kemptville, where a long hot shower makes a perfect end to the day.
Day 2
Kemptville to Merrickville
Another leisurely day of cruising brings me to Merrickville, a village that offers a glimpse of the waterway as it was so long ago. Homes erected before the Victorian village was officially founded in 1791 remain today, including bed and breakfasts such as Sam Jake's Inn , built in 1861 by Sam Jakes, one of the town's pioneers.
Hard by the locks are the "ruins," virtually all that's left of the town's early industrial centre. The village is still home to Canada's oldest working foundry. And the waterway's military heritage is underlined by the Blockhouse, now a museum, the largest fortification of its kind on the Rideau.
Antique stores and craft shops abound on the town's main street, offering mementos of your stay on the "Jewel of the Rideau." But the village is not all history. For a guide to entertainment attractions, check out http://merrickville-is-hot.com/ .
Day 3
Merrickville to Smiths Falls
I decide to really take it easy, and make the short hop to Smiths Falls, where I'll spend Canada Day. There's a surprising amount of dockage space available - I had assumed the boat traffic would really begin to spike on the holiday weekend. I was lucky in that regard, but you shouldn't count on it. Waits can reach a couple of hours at some of the locks during July and August.
The town is home to the first Hershey's chocolate factory built outside of Hershey, Pa. If you've ever wanted to see how chocolate bars are made, you can take a tour of the factory at your leisure. For details, check out their website at http://www.hersheys.com/discover/smithsfalls.asp .
No Canada Day would be complete without a fireworks show, and Smiths Falls comes through in fine style. I take the two-kilometre walk back up river to a park where local musicians and singers - including a clearly stage-struck girl of about 12 who sings along with a Shania Twain CD - share an open stage as a prelude to the pyrotechnics.
Day 4
Smiths Falls to Newboro
After clearing the locks and swing bridge at Smiths Falls, it's time to dock for an hour to photograph a pair of osprey feeding their chicks and doing renovations to their enormous nest, which is built atop a platform erected for that purpose. Osprey numbers had dwindled dangerously before concerned residents came up with this simple but effective idea, and photographing these magnificent birds was a treat. The day's cruise led through the Rideau lakes - Lower, Big and Upper - which are worth a week on their own, and some day I'll get back there to do just that. They are filled with wee islands and secluded coves, perfect for boaters who prefer to avoid the marinas.
Day 5
Newboro to Jones Falls
Newboro Lake is significant for boaters because it's there that the buoys that delineate the main channel change direction - buoys that had been kept to the right now must be kept to the left. It's a change that is missed at a boater's peril, as I soon discovered. As I headed south I came across of flock of kayakers near a buoy, and with my attention focused totally on them I ran Lulu up on a shoal - a hazard I thought I would be avoiding. Fortunately, I was moving so slowly I did no damage to the boat - except for a couple of nicks on the propeller - and I was able to push her off myself (one of the joys of an 18-foot boat). Still, it's a moment I recall with chagrin.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully and before long I reached
Jones Falls , another bit of history trapped in amber. Here, you'll find a working blacksmith shop, where visitors can purchase wrought-iron goods and watch as they are being made. The original "defensible" lock keeper's home - its gun ports intact - has been immaculately maintained. Sweeney House is filled with furniture from the period, and visitors can watch as a young woman in Victorian dress patiently spins wool into yarn. It is also home to a magnificent six-storey keystone arch dam, the largest of its type when it was built. A power station that was added in the 1940s remains in operation today.
Day 6
Jones Falls to Kingston
I would have loved to spend an extra day at Jones Falls, but a major commitment in Toronto - the 50th birthday of my wife, Moira - meant it was time to head for Kingston, the grand old city that sits at the end of the waterway. The day is grey and gloomy, with a stiff westerly wind and intermittent rain, and I'm glad when the final three locks (Upper and Lower Brewers) are behind me. The docks at the Flora MacDonald Confederation Basin are a welcome sight, and the perfect place to recharge my batteries - literally and figuratively - for my next destination, the Thousand Islands area of Lake Ontario.
If you go
A great place to begin planning your trip along the Rideau Canal Waterway - whether by boat, car or bicycle - is the government of Canada web site, where you'll find complete information about matters such as where to obtain charts and fees for boaters using the waterway.
Another great site is rideau-info.com , which contains an alphabetized listing of all things from accommodations to zebra mussels relating to the waterway.
If you've ever wondered how a lock actually works, check out starling101.btinternet.co.uk or rideau-info.com/canal/lock to view a simple animation of simple yet ingenious process.
It's important to remember that you don't need a powerboat to enjoy the pleasures of the waterway. Canoeists and kayakers enjoy the route less travelled, sticking closer to the shoreline and avoiding the squadrons of powerboats, especially in the high season of July and August. Camping is available at the lock stations. Information about all of these activities can be found at the government web site.
There are plenty of opportunities to cruise the Rideau without actually owning a boat. Here are a few of the companies offering boat cruises or boat rentals - everything from canoes and kayaks, to motor cruisers and houseboats - along various stretches of the waterway:
http://home.istar.ca/~boattour/
http://www.paulsboatcruises.com/about.htm
http://www.rideaufriends.com/harriet-by.html
http://www.rideau-info.com/canal/boat_rent.html
Thinking about doing the canal by bicycle? Here's a good place to start.
The villages and towns along the waterway have lots to offer, whether you're interested in outdoor activities, antiquing or culture, particularly the arts and crafts. Almost all of them have their own web sites, and are invaluable in planning your trip. Here are a few:
http://www.manotick.org/ covers the towns of Manotick (now incorporated into Ottawa), Kars and surrounding communities.
http://www.realmerrickville.ca/ will get you ready to visit "the jewel of the Rideau."
http://www.town.smiths-falls.on.ca/ will get you up to speed on the friendly little town with links to three important sites for history buffs: the Rideau Canal Museum, Heritage House Museum and Smiths Falls Railway Museum.