Lachine Canal

The major player in Canada's Industrial Revolution

Noteworthy for: The Lachine Canal is 14.5 kilometres long and runs from the Old Port of Montréal to Lake Saint-Louis.
Up to the point the Lachine Canal was built, Canada provided raw materials to Britain in exchange for imports and made no goods of its own. The opening of the Canal in 1825 allowed Montréal to take advantage of its abundant resources, develop a banking and financial sector and build large ports that would become a hub for manufacturing and shipping.

The Lachine Canal was eventually replaced by the larger and more comprehensive Saint Lawrence Seaway and closed to shipping in 1970. After major cleaning and restoration, Parks Canada re-opened it in 2002 as a recreational boating channel. You can now explore the canal either by taking a boat tour, renting paddle boats or by cycling along the lovely multi-purpose paths along the banks.