Canoeing & Kayaking on The Rideau

CANOEING AND KAYAKING ON THE RIDEAU CANAL

Location: Ottawa to Kingston

Access: 1) from Kingston at either the Cataraqui Canoe Club on River Street, just off Rideau Street, or from Kingston Mills on Kingston Mills Road between Highway 15 and County Road 11 (Montreal Street)

2) from Ottawa at Dows Lake

3) a variety of access points along the route, or from many of the lock stations

4) from the Frontenac Provincial Park Trail Centre on North Otter Lake to Rothwell Lake to Holleford Lake, then to Desert Lake

5) from Frontenac Outfitters on Pearkes Lake then a very short private portage of 167 metres to South Otter Lake, then through a large culvert to North Otter Lake

Note: Departure Locations #4 and #5 are great for canoes, but it is recommended that sea kayaks begin their trip at the Desert Lake beach area off Desert Lake Road.

Description:

The Rideau Canal stretches from Ottawa to Lake Ontario at Kingston for a distance of 202 kilometres. Far from being just “a canal”, the route takes in a number of rivers and interconnecting lakes, with interesting side trips along the way (i.e. Westport, Perth, etc.). The route boasts exceptional scenery, from the spectacular wooded shorelines and granite rocks of the Canadian Shield in the southern portion, to the agricultural communities and urban areas in the north. The route is dotted with numerous small islands, wetlands, and other natural features along the way.

Conceived in the wake of the War of 1812, the Rideau Canal was built as a war time supply route to Kingston and the Great Lakes. The route provided a secure means for troops and supplies from Montreal to reach the Upper Canada settlements and the strategic naval dockyard at Kingston. Supervised by Lieutenant Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers in 1826, the canal was finished in an incredible six years. Throughout the route, there are numerous testaments to the amount of labour required to finish the route, and the hardships the workers endured. There are four blockhouses, located at Merrickville, The Narrows Lock, Newboro and Kingston Mills, some of them open to the public to tour. Elsewhere, there are plenty of reminders of the past through the construction of the locks themselves, which haven’t changed appreciably in 180 years, and the spectacular Jones Falls Arch Dam to the naming of some of the watercourses along the way – Colonel By Lake and Colonel By Island. In Merrickville, there is even a computer shop called “Colonel Bytes!”

By canoe or kayak, paddlers can rub shoulders with the many loons who nest here, see ospreys diving for fish, hear barred owls calling at night, or see any one of a number of wildlife species along the shores. In the southern portion, attractive homes sit atop towering granite knobs, each one with a winding staircase spiraling its way down to the shoreline, taking advantage of any natural crevices and ledges enroute. There are narrow channels, connecting larger lakes, nearly 20 km of them, all excavated manually during the canal’s construction at a time when laborers didn’t enjoy the benefits of the hydraulic and automated machinery of today. Numerous lakes pass from one into another, some so small as to pass by almost unnoticed, others enormous in size such as the chain of Rideau Lakes that take two or three days to paddle through. The scene is always changing.

It is one of those rare watercourses that one can paddle every year, and never tire. It can be done in its entirety or it can be done in short increments, depending on a person’s chief area of interest. Paddlers have been known to paddle the entire length in as few as five or six days; however, to get the absolute maximum from a paddle trip on this historic route, one must spend 10 or 11 days, stopping occasionally to take in both the natural and human history of the canal. To get the most out of the trip, a guide is recommended. One suggestion is to start early in the morning and paddle to a destination, arriving at about noon before the winds pick up on the lakes, and spend the balance of the day taking in the sights. Jones Falls, for example, is attractively situated with plenty of things to see and do; Newboro is but a five minute walk from the lockstation where Kilborne’s store features everything from ice cream to Tilley clothes, scented candles to fine art and furniture. Merrickville commands at least an overnight stay in order to take in the historic sights here with its craft and specialty shops and the location of the Canadian Canoeing Association and the Friends of the Rideau Canal. Tent camping is available at most lockstations along the way at a very reasonable price, or at many of the lockstations there are hotels and other accommodations available nearby. For a change of pace, there are two provincial parks. Murphy’s Point Provincial Park has a number of canoe-in sites right along Big Rideau Lake, and Rideau River Provincial Park closer to Ottawa also has a number of campsites within a few steps of the boat launch.

While a person’s perception of map layout suggests that the Rideau should be paddled “downstream” from Ottawa to Kingston, actually the opposite is true. The canal flows toward Kingston, only from Newboro. From Newboro the canal flows toward Ottawa and the Ottawa River. During most times of the year, any current in the river is imperceptible, so which direction to paddle is irrelevant. Paddling from Kingston to Ottawa, however, will provide the added benefit of the prevailing south westerlies to your back.

Numbered buoys in the navigational channel are easy to follow and there is little chance of becoming off course if you keep these in sight. However, canoes and kayaks are not required by law to remain in the navigational channels; in fact, the paddle will be more enjoyable if one avoids them when possible as during the operating season, a boat can approach at any moment. By following a chart (available from the Friends of the Rideau) paddlers soon learn where the shortcuts are located and can scoot between islands and cut corners if so desired.

The Rideau Canal is a must for the avid kayaker or canoeist. For safety reasons, it is always best if paddlers do not paddle solo, but paddle as a small group, thus ensuring an added measure of safety, as well as well as providing extra help in meal preparation, setting up the campsite, and loading and unloading the boats, and the overall camaraderie that makes a trip like this that much more special. It is a trip paddlers won’t soon forget – the courtesy of fellow boaters, the exceptional vistas, and the friendly banter and help from the Parks staff at the lockstations. Above all, consider it a bonus if lockmaster Ray LaForest should choose to haul out one of his collection of 300 accordions and play for you as you ascend the lock at Jones Falls.

For more information: E-mail Terry Sprague

To read our journal of that trip, CLICK HERE

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PHOTO CREDITS:

1) Kayakers from the Prince Edward County, Napanee and Belleville area cluster together at Kingston Mills Lock to begin their 202 kilometre journey up the Rideau Canal to Ottawa.  Photo by Richard Morrow

2) Terry Sprague (centre with Tilley hat) checks the charts as they make their way toward Jone’s Falls.  Photo by Jane Hough

3)   Murphy’s Point is one of two provincial Parks along the Rideau Canal where paddlers can camp.   Photo by Terry Sprague