Chambly Canal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chambly Canal |
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Chambly Canal and multipurpose path, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
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| Specifications | |
| Locks | 9 |
| Navigation authority | Parks Canada |
| History | |
| Construction began | September 5, 1831 |
| Date of first use | June 9, 1843 |
| Date completed | 1843 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Chambly |
| End point | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu |
| Official name: Chambly Canal National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 1929 |
The Chambly Canal is a special place in Quebec, Canada. It's known as a National Historic Site. This canal runs alongside the Richelieu River, passing through towns like Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Carignan, and Chambly.
Work on the canal started in 1831. It officially opened in 1843. For many years, it was a very busy route for moving goods between Canada and the United States. Today, it's mostly used by people enjoying boat rides and other fun activities.
Connecting Waterways
The Chambly Canal is part of a bigger water path. This path links the Saint Lawrence River in Canada to the Hudson River in the United States. It's like a watery highway!
In the U.S. part of this route, you'll find Lake Champlain and the Champlain Canal. This whole journey is sometimes called the "Lakes to Locks Passage."
Canal Features
The Chambly Canal has some cool features. It has 10 bridges that cross over it. Eight of these bridges are still operated by hand! That's pretty neat.
The canal also has nine special gates called hydraulic locks. These locks help boats move up or down between different water levels.
Here are some quick facts about the canal:
- Water Depth: The water in the canal is about 6.5 ft (1.98 m) deep.
- Bridge Height: Boats can be up to 29 ft (8.84 m) tall to pass under the bridges.
- Canal Length: The entire canal stretches for about 20 km (12 mi).
- Smallest Lock Size: The smallest lock is 110 ft × 21 ft (33.53 m × 6.40 m).
- Travel Time: It usually takes about 3 to 5 hours to travel through the whole canal by boat.
Images for kids
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Locks in Chambly
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Lock in Chambly, viewed in winter.
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Lock in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu during the 2011 Lake Champlain and Richelieu River Floods
