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List of canals in Canada facts for kids

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Welland Canal image
A ship passing through the Welland Canal in St. Catharines, 2017

There exists a number of canals in Canada that are used as aqueducts, diversionary channels for power stations, and for shippings.

Natural canals

A natural canal exists between the Magaguadavic River and Lake Utopia outside St. George, New Brunswick.

Shipping canals

Active

Canal Province Length Number of locks Max boat length Start point End point Year opened Notes
Beauharnois Canal Quebec 24.5 km (15.2 mi) 2 Lake Saint Francis Lake Saint-Louis 1932 Later incorporated as a part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Canso Canal Nova Scotia 0.56 km (0.35 mi) 1 230 m (740 ft) St. George's Bay Chedabucto Bay 1955
Carillon Canal Quebec 21 km (13 mi) 1 Ottawa River Ottawa River 1830
Chambly Canal Quebec 20 km (12 mi) 9 Richelieu River (Chambly) Richelieu River (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) 1843
Dougall Canal Ontario 0.8 km (0.50 mi) Lake Couchiching Lake Couchiching c. 1960s
Lachine Canal Quebec 14.5 km (9.0 mi) 5 Saint Lawrence River (Old Port of Montreal) Lake Saint-Louis 1825
Murray Canal Ontario 8 km (5.0 mi) Bay of Quinte Lake Ontario 1889
Rideau Canal Ontario 202 km (126 mi) 47 27 m (90 ft) Ottawa River (Ottawa) Lake Ontario (Kingston) 1832
Saint Lawrence Seaway Ontario & Quebec 600 km (370 mi) 15 230 m (740 ft) Saint Lawrence River (Old Port of Montreal) Lake Erie (Port Colborne) 1959
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal Quebec Lake Saint-Louis Lake of Two Mountains 1843
Sault Ste. Marie Canal Ontario 1.6 km (0.99 mi) 1 St. Marys River St. Marys River 1895
St. Peters Canal Nova Scotia 0.8 km (0.50 mi) 1 91 m (300 ft) Bras d'Or Lake Atlantic Ocean (St. Peter's) 1869
Tay Canal Ontario 9.8 km (6.1 mi) 2 27 m (90 ft) Tay River Lower Rideau Lake 1891 Currently operated as a part of the Rideau Canal
Trent-Severn Waterway Ontario 386 km (240 mi) 44 26 m (84 ft) Georgian Bay (Severn) Bay of Quinte (Trenton) 1833
Welland Canal Ontario 43 km (27 mi) 8 230 m (740 ft) Lake Ontario (St. Catharines) Lake Erie (Port Colborne) 1829 Later incorporated as a part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway

Abandoned

Canal Province Length Number of locks Start point End point Year opened Year closed Notes
Baillie-Grohman Canal British Columbia 1.5 km (0.93 mi) Columbia River Kootenay River 1889 1902
Coteau-du-Lac canal Quebec 100 m (330 ft) 3 1781
Desjardins Canal Ontario Cootes Paradise Hamilton Harbour 1837 1895
Newmarket Canal Ontario 16 km (9.9 mi) 3 Lake Simcoe East Holland River (Newmarket) N/A N/A The canal was cancelled during its construction.
Shubenacadie Canal Nova Scotia 114 km (71 mi) 1 Halifax Harbour (Dartmouth) Cobequid Bay (Maitland) 1856 1871
Soulanges Canal Quebec 5 1899 1958
Welland Recreational Waterway Ontario Welland Canal Welland Canal c. 1970s The waterway formed a part of the original alignment for the Welland Canal that passed Welland, prior to the completion of the Welland By-Pass in the 1970s. Motorboats are prohibited from the Welland Recreational Waterway.

Parts of the Rouge River in Markham, Ontario were being planned by William Berczy in the 1790s as a navigation route between Lake Simcoe and Lake Ontario via Holland River but did not progress beyond clearing of 24 miles along the route.

Other types of canals

Canal Province Start point End point Notes
Canal de l'Aqueduc Quebec City of Montreal pumping station (Pointe-Saint-Charles) Open-air aqueduct canal used by the city of Montreal.
Kootenay Canal British Columbia Kootenay River Kootenay River Diversionary canal for the Kootenay Canal hydroelectric plant.
Seton Canal British Columbia Seton Lake Fraser River Diversionary canal for the Seton Powerhouse.
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