Ottawa


                           
Flight of 8 locks which started our journey 
  on the Rideau Canal.
Getting towed - out of gas!

               Dinghy excursion to Dow’s Lake near Ottawa. 
             There was a marina and used to have a restaurant. 
Prom was held at a huge community center close by.
                            A person playing bagpipes.
                                      Entering a lock.
            Holding onto ropes, getting ready to lock through.
                                    Docked in Ottawa.
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                                    Dinghy excursion. 



                      We ran out of gas - had to be towed. 
                                       Canada Geese.




                         A view from the top of a lock!

We arrived in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, on June 8, 2023. This is where we started our journey down the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO Heritage Site. The canal has so much to offer. It was truly a leisurely boating excursion for us - felt like a vacation! We stopped at several lovely towns and smaller communities. We usually docked at lock walls, which provided a park-like setting to boaters with beautiful, flower gardens. Some walls even have campsites or cabins available. All of the walls had bathrooms and some had showers. Most of the locks are manually operated and the lock staff were so courteous and helpful. At the walls, we were able to fish, swim, hike and a lot of green space was available for Traxx. Interpretative signs and museums provided history lessons for each lock. We found out that in the winter, the Rideau serves as an ice skating rink in some communities, Ottawa being one of them. 

In Ottawa, the canal started with a series of 8 locks, or a “flight of locks.” We arrived at 9am promptly, when the locks opened and were admitted right in. The magnificent flight of 8 locks is framed by Canada’s Parliament buildings on one side and the impressive Château Laurier hotel on the other. It’s the largest set of locks on the Rideau. To lock through 8 locks, we were lifted for a total of 79 feet and it took about 1.5 hours - not too bad. And rising up to the sights of Ottawa was beautiful!

We will be cruising with our friends, Malcolm and Rachel, on  Stay Cool. They have a beautiful 39’ Mainship Trawler. They’re from Canada and are familiar with the Rideau Canal, locks and best places to stay. 

Ottawa was a magnificent city! It’s a very vibrant and historic place! Lots of shopping, cafes, museums, festivals, etc. We only stayed a couple of nights but it could be a week long destination! 



                                 Parliament Building
                              National War Memorial.
                    Boomerang on the dock wall at Ottawa.
                                   The canal in Ottawa.
This was monument honoring women who fought for their right
                                 To run for public office.
                    Parliament building in Parliament Hill.
             The Bytown Museum on the canal, housed in the 
         Oldest stone structure in Ottawa. Originally, Ottawa was
          Called Bytown, after Colonel John By. (We also went 
              To Colonel By Island - a future blog). It was nice 
         Museum with numerous artifacts from the early days
            Of Bytown, Ottawa and construction of the canal.

            Coming up to the flight of 8 locks. You can see the 
                                  Parliament buildings.




                                        Entering a lock.

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