The Lachine, from Montreal to Lachine, turns the St. Louis or Lachine Rapids above Montreal. It was voted, for military purposes mainly, in 1815, begun in 1821, and opened in 1825. The Soulanges turns the Cascade, Cedar, and Coteau Rapids. It has superseded the old Beauharnais Canal. The Cornwall was begun in 1832, and finished in 1843. It turns the Longue Sault Rapids above Cornwall. The Williamsburg canals (Farren's Point, Rapide Plat, and Galops) turn a series of rapids between the Longue Sault and Lake Ontario. Descending vessels, however, often run these. The Welland Canal, between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, turns the Falls of Niagara. This canal is also important for military purposes, though it is close to the frontier. It was projected by Mr. William Hamilton Merritt, who served actively in the war of 1812-14, and the Duke of Wellington encouraged the enterprise by taking several shares in it. It was begun in 1825, and completed about 1841. Between this canal and the Sault St. Marie Canal, connecting Lakes Huron and Superior, there is deep water communication for very large vessels. The Sault St. Marie Canal was begun only in 1889, the object being mainly to avoid the payment of duties to the adjoining American canal, and complete an "all red" route from the head of the great lakes to the sea. It is cut through St. Mary's Island, on the north side of the Sault St. Marie Rapids, in the St. Mary's River. A reference to the map facing the concluding page will show the immense advantage it will be, in a commercial as well as military sense, to Canada to deepen the canal system and water-channels, so that the largest ocean-going vessels can pass through from Lake Superior to the Atlantic, and vice versa.1 At present vessels of 10,000 tons and upwards are employed to carry ocean freight from the western lake ports to Buffalo, at the head of the Niagara River (in the United States); but, owing to the insufficient depth of the Welland and other canals lower than this point, much of the freight is here transferred, and conveyed through the United States (either by American railways or by the Erie Canal, which is being enlarged, and the Hudson River) to New York, as the best route to the ocean. Three-fourths, perhaps, of the large grain and other traffic of the West formerly found its way thus to the sea through United States and not Canadian territory. Could this traffic, without breaking bulk, be taken through to Montreal and the ocean, the distance to tidal water would be about as short, while the route would lie throughout over Canadian water, and the cost, it is said, be little more than one-half. But the St. Lawrence canals form by no means all the canals of Canada. In addition to these we must mention also the following, among others of less prominence: 1 The largest vessels constructed and plying on the upper lakes cannot now pass further eastward than the eastern point of Lake Erie. The Rideau Canal. This was constructed by Great Britain, chiefly for military purposes, at the instance of the Duke of Wellington, the want of it having been much felt in the war of 1812-14. Its object was to connect Ottawa, the present capital of the Dominion, with Kingston, on Lake Ontario (about 126 miles), by a water route north of the frontier, and available for the conveyance of troops and stores. It was commenced in 1812, carried out under Colonel By,1 R.E., and finished in 1832. Its depth does not exceed 9 feet. Montreal also now communicates with Kingston through the Lachine Canal, the Ottawa River, with its canals, and the Rideau Canal. The Richelieu and Lake Champlain Canal system commences at Sorel, at the confluence of the Richelieu and St. Lawrence below Montreal, and affords communication via the River Richelieu with Lake Champlain, a distance of eighty-one miles to the American frontier north of the lake. The average canal depth is about 7 feet. This canal was also suggested by the experience of the war of 1812-14. It was begun in 1830, and completed in 1843. In American territory south of Lake Champlain there is communication by American canal with Albany, on the Hudson. The Trent Canal was in 1907 open as far as Lake Simcoe. It is intended to connect Lake Ontario, from a point near Kingston, with Lake Huron-200 miles-via the River Trent, various 1 Hence the old name of Ottawa, which was "Bytown." lakes (including Lake Simcoe), and the River Severn. The actual canal distance is short (about twenty miles). It has a depth of about 6 feet only, but in war would be useful for the conveyance of troops and stores. When it is understood that from these main canals run also subsidiary branches, too many to be here enumerated, it can be seen what a considerable part they play in the communications of Canada. A further projected canal, not as yet begun, but which has been practically approved and its route fully surveyed, must be specially mentioned. This is the Georgian Bay Canal, which it is calculated will take ten years or so to complete, at a cost of about 2,000,000 pounds sterling a year throughout that period. Commercially it will be of great importance, its object being to connect Montreal-i.e., ocean navigation-with the northern end of Lake Huron (the Georgian Bay) via the River Ottawa and Lake Nipissing. The total distance is about 440 miles, but of this the greater part will consist of rivers and small lakes, not of canal; and the route will provide a water passage between Lake Superior and the Atlantic, in addition to that by the St. Lawrence and through Lakes Erie and Ontario. The depth is to be not less than 22 feet throughout to Montreal, which will accommodate the large lake vessels of about 600 feet in length, 60-inch beam, and usually with a draught of some 20 feet. The distance from Port Arthur, on Lake Superior, through this canal, to Montreal, the |