Sault Ste. Marie Canal

The Sault Ste. Marie Canal is a National Historic Site of Canada in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The canal is part of the shipping route from the Atlantic ocean to Lake Superior and includes a set of locks to bypass the rapids on the St. Marys River.

The construction of the canal and lock was completed in 1895. At that time it was the largest lock and first electrically operated lock in the world. The canal is about 1.6 km (1 mile) long and originally the lock portion was 274 m (899 ft) long and 18 m (59 ft) wide.ref|Size It broke down in 1987 and a new lock was built within the old lock. The lock was reopened in 1998 and is now 77 m (252 ft) long, 15.4 m (50.5 ft) wide and 3 m (10 ft) deep.ref|Size The canal is used for recreational and tour boats; major shipping traffic uses the American Soo Locks.

There are several heritage buildings on the site: the Administration Building, Superintendent's Residence, Canalmen's Shelter, Powerhouse, and Stores/Blacksmith Shop, all constructed from red sandstone dug up during the canal's construction. Most of the original machinery used to operate the lock is also still in place. Another unique feature of the site is the emergency swing bridge dam.

Guided tours are available in the summer only. The visitor centre is open year round.

ee also

* Soo Locks
* List of national historic sites of Canada
* Whitefish Island

References

# [http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/ssmarie/natcul/natcul1_E.asp Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada, Natural Wonders & Cultural Treasures] - "Parks Canada"

External links

* [http://www.pc.gc.ca/sault Official website]