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Cornwall Canal facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Aerial View of Lock 18 area in 1920
This aerial photo, from 1920, shows the canal paralleling the Saint Lawrence River.

The Cornwall Canal was built by the British government of Canada to bypass a troublesome rapids hindering navigation on the St. Lawrence at Cornwall, Ontario. Construction begun in 1834 and was completed in 1843.

Description

The canal extends past the Long Sault rapids from Cornwall, Ontario, to Dickinson's Landing. From the head of the Soulanges to the foot of the canal, there is a stretch through Lake St. Francis of 32¾ miles. The length of the canal is eleven miles. It has six locks that are 270 by 45 feet. The total rise or lockage is 48 feet. The depth of water on the sill is 14 feet. It is 100 feet wide at the bottom and 164 at water surface. It closed in 1968, after being functionally replaced by the Wiley-Dondero Canal on the US side of the river.

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Cornwall Canal Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.