Rideau Falls facts for kids
The Rideau Falls are two amazing waterfalls located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This is where the Rideau River empties its water into the larger Ottawa River. The falls are separated by a piece of land called Green Island.
On one side of the falls, you can find Ottawa's Old City Hall. On the west side is the main office for the National Research Council, which does important scientific research. To the east, you'll see the Canada and the World Pavilion and the French Embassy.
How the Falls Got Their Name
Long ago, in the early 1600s, a French explorer named Samuel de Champlain saw these falls. He described them as "...a marvelous fall...it descends a height of twenty or twenty-five fathoms with such impetuosity that it makes an arch nearly four hundred paces broad." This means he thought they were incredible!
The early French explorers named the falls "Rideau" because they looked like a curtain. In French, "rideau" means curtain. Later, the river itself was named the Rideau River, after these very falls.
The Rideau Canal Connection
The Rideau Falls were a natural barrier for boats trying to travel along the river. To help ships get around these powerful waterfalls, the Rideau Canal was built. This famous canal was created to bypass both the Rideau Falls and another set of falls called the Hog's Back Falls. The canal made it possible for boats to travel safely between Ottawa and Kingston.
