The Trent Severn Canal

Claire and Marg Valcour at Fraser Park Marina

The Trent-Severn Portion of our Great Adventure

The Trent Severn Canal, built over a period of 87 years, connects Lake Ontario with the Georgian Ban, the northern part of Lake Huron. It consisted of connecting many lovely lakes via man-dug canals primarily for the purpose of commerce. By the time it was finished, multi-laned highways and raiways had reduced the need for the system and it is now used primarily for recreational purposes.

Travel on the Trent Severn is highlighted by the numerous locks that raise you nearly 600 feet from Trenton Ontario to the summit of the system near Balsam Lake and then lowers you 267 feet to the Georgian Bay. In total, we traveled 240 miles on the Trent Severn to Penetanguishine Ontario in the Georgian Bay. And what a trip it was!

The Locks totaled 44 although the last lock is numbered 45. There are three types of locks, conventional, flight and hydraulic, and one marine railway which I will describe in detail when we arrive. Many of the locks have been operating since the late 1900's with little modification; in fact, Parks Canada works diligently to preserve the locks in as nearly the original condition as possible. Repair, restoration and maintenance is on-going but there is little mechanization. Nearly all the lock gates are operated manually by the locktender and his(her) assistants trudging around in a circle pushing the lever that eventually opens the lock gates.

There were three locks that served to highlight our trip: the Peterborough Lift Lock, the Kirkfield Lift Lock and the Marine Railway or Big Chute as it is known by the locals. Peterborough and Kirkfield celebrated their 100th anniversaries in 2004. The Big Chute is not a lock at all but a 3-story marine carriage that portages your boat over land! 600' from one side to the other.

So, with that preliminary information, here is our story of the Trent Severn Canal.

Steve's first catch...a walleye 19" long

June 29th. We're about to begin the Trent-Severn portion of our trip. Leaving Oswego NY in our wake, we headed for Bath Ontario to arrive one day before their biggest holiday on July 1st. We'd attempted reservations at Kingston Ontario but with their Big Holiday upon us, we had to change course and travel a bit west of Kingston to Bath Ontario in the Bay of Quinte.

Bath is a small town used to having smaller boats in their harbor but, as we were to discover throughout our Canadian travels, the harbormaster was not about to turn us away. Another boat, Wavaway, joined us...a 55" Hatteras...and they put us on the T-docks...barely! The holiday came and went but since we weren't in the big city, we missed the most raucous of the celebrations.

While Bath is a small town, it served to introduce us to one of the greater pleasures of cruising in Canadian waters: clear, clean water that you could see nearly 15' feet down.

July 1st we departed for an anchorage not far from Bath in the Bay of Quinte, known for some of the most excellent cruising in Canada. We dropped anchor near Ram Island so Steve could fish. A few perch and undersized large mouth bass later, we moved to a nearby bay and set the hook for the nite...quiet and far from the maddening crowd. Steve took his fishing pole, with a spinner rig, and cast it into the water off the stern of the boat and voila! on the second cast...Claire, I've got a fish...come and get the net! Well, he reeled it in and we had a 19.5" walleye. We record every fish we catch (and keep) with a picture and a measuring stick as, for sure, people will not believe us...or Steve, to be more accurate. Let me tell you, we had a great dinner that nite!, the best we've had so far.

July 2nd, we ventured a little further up the Bay of Quinte into Mohawk Bay. We tried one anchorage but the wind shifted so we moved a bit further on. One thing is for sure...you have to be sure your anchor is set as the bottom is extremely weedy. We had another day to wait for our slip in Trenton so we used that time to fish...or Steve used the time to fish. He caught a large-mouth bass that took him 10" to land but since he doesn't like to eat large-mouth, he returned it to the water. Come to find out, locals thought he was nuts! They eat all large-mouth they catch! We stayed at anchor until July 4th as our slip at Trenton wasn't available 'til then but unfortunately, the fish gawds were not with us. Other than a few perch and some undersized small mouth bass, Steve didn't catch anything we could eat. Not for lack of trying, though!!

July 4th: Sidney's 8th birthday! Steve had a special bone for him. It was a cloudy morning and just 65 degrees...time to move on.

Trenton Ontario...entrance to the Trent-Severn Canal

Arrived at Fraser Park Marina at 2 p.m. having driven through a misty rain for several hours. We stayed for three days mainly because a dear friend from my professional days, Marg, was to visit but she couldn't get to Trenton until Friday (see above). However, the Turkey needed a bath and our refrigerator needed restocking as well so the days were well spent. Craig and Sandy, who manage the marina for the city of Trenton, were super nice people again finding space for everyone who needed a dock. Trenton is the first stop for all Loopers entering the Trent Severn so the beginning of the season (mid-June to early July) is always busy with boats coming and going.

The Trenton Farmer's Market

Though a little early in the "growing" season, the farmer's market supplied us with some local fruits and veggies along with artisan breads prior to our departure for Lock 1. Trent Severn...here we come!

Lockmaster opening the Gates on TS Waterway

July 7, departure day. After going under the bridge, we encountered our first lock of the 18 we'll encounter in the next 50 miles which will raise us 370 feet. The locks in Canada are not as sophisticated as those we have been used to considering these locks are, in many instances, over 100 years old. Going up in a lock, regardless of how far, was to be a challenge as you might surmise from some of the following pictures. Instead of securing your boat to a center floating bollard, as we were used to, there were a series of cables about 12' apart between which you set your boat so as to secure a line around a cable fore and aft. If you were lucky, you were the only boat in the lock; if not, you really had to be sure you had your boat under control because it didn't take much to slam into a companion boat! Steve and I took turns driving into the locks thus relieving some of the stress. After a few locks, however, you developed a rhythm and unless the wind was blowing, it was a piece of cake.

Looking down from the Ranney Falls Lock

Prior to leaving Trenton, we had purchased our Canal Pass and a Wall Permit. The Pass is a fee charged all boats, dependent on length, which is used to support the canal. The Wall Permit allows you to tie up to Lock Walls all along the Canal for a period of one to three days, or longer in some areas, instead of spending time in a marina. There are no services at the lock walls so one must run the generator and/or invertor for electricity. All locks have bathroom facilities and some even had showers. Sort of like camping out!

Some days we traveled short distances; some days longer dependent on the number of locks we had to get through, the sites along the way or the weather. Each lock presented the same routine although some locks were more challenging to pass through. Current was almost always a concern as the locks were alongside dams. The water level is controlled by the dams and if there were rain, for instance, the gates would be open dumping water downstream. In those instances, you pulled up to the lock wall on what was known as the "blue line" and waited until you could enter the lock chamber. Due to lock communication, the locks were generally ready for you; however, sometimes timing wasn't just right and we had to wait until boats were being locked down before we could take our turn.

The first major stop was at Hastings where we played the tourist visiting the Cheese Factory and the World's Finest Chocolate Outlet. The Cheese Factory was about a 5 mile ride outside of town which made for a good day of exercise. Since we'd stopped at the local bakery, noted for it's fresh baked muffins, we needed to burn the calories. When reading the guide books regarding the "what to do" in each recommended stop, you were soon lulled into stopping at every recommended bakery, fudge shop and ice cream store! If it weren't for a bit of restraint on our parts, we would both be Michelin dough boys by now.

Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Lock

Now we were into a routine. We would read ahead a bit in the guide books to ascertain our cruising miles. While each mile brought sites of rural solitude or urban activity, the cruising was the same. The canal was shallow nearly all of its length so we had to pay attention to water depths. Going out of the channel was out of the question as outside of it lay giant rocks of granite ready to rip into your hull or dent your props. Several cruisers had already experienced close encounters of the wrong kind and were laid up in boatyards awaiting either new rudders, wheel repair or other necessary repairs. We prayed to our Travel Angels everyday to help protect us from similar circumstances.

Close-up before entering the Peterborough Lift Lock

The major site of interest in Peterborough is the Lift Lock. Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004, this lock is of significance due to its design. It is the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world with a height of 65'. Built between 1896 and 1904 of unreinforced concrete, it was the largest concrete structure in the world and was (and is) considered an engineering marvel. It raises and lowers boats in two water-filled chambers not unlike giant bathtubs. Each chamber holds 1700 tons of water. Two 7.5 foot diameter chamber rams, each with a reach of 65 feet, are connected in a closed water hydraulic system. Anything that happens in one chamber causes an equal and opposite reaction in the other chamber. The tubs are transferred, along with their cargo of boats, by adding an extra foot of water into the upper chamber. This causes the lower chamber to rise. All in a period of 2 minutes.

The lock really is a fascination. When you bring your boat into the chamber, you're at ground level. When you are at the top, you are at ground level again but it looks as though you are in one of those invisible pools. Looking backwards and down, you see where you were just minutes ago...only 65 feet below you! It was July 12th and we were going to cruise just 5.86 miles for the day.

Both sides of the canal, for the most part, had small summer cottages. Each seemed to have its' own personality and character. I loved looking at the yards and docks as each had a special something to distinguish it from the neighbors. Some had yard statues, some had beautifully landscaped gardens and patios while some had colorful furniture sitting on the dock to catch your attention.

Summer in Canada means July and August and the locals make every minute count. The population of Toronto or Ottowa, and cities in between, seemed to transport itself to the Lakes and Trent Severn to luxuriate in the beauty and casual living of the shore. While some cottages were exactly that, others were magnificent in their size and structure. We inquired as to whether these were year round or summer homes and most were summer homes. The Canadians are certainly hardy people because when the snow and cold arrive, out come the snowmobiles, sleds, and other winter sport gear though mostly enjoyed closer to their year-round homes.

The cottages were not limited to the land alongside the canal. Nearby islands were usually sites for a cottage as well and residents were transported back and forth either by the typical fishing boat or pontoon boat.

It's now the 17th of July and we're just at Bobcaygeon...not that we're in any hurry or on a schedule. Though this is just "another town" along the route, it has its own character and culture if not history. We found spending a couple of nites at each major town was beneficial in the encounters we had with the locals. We were also experiencing some very nice weather with temps in the 80's and sunny all day long. Get towards dusk, though, and you'd better close all windows and doors and turn on the AC because the Canadian B-52's would otherwise eat you alive. I swear I don't remember seeing, or hearing, so many bugs in my entire life! Guess we're not the only ones that enjoy the clear clean air!!

July 18th and we're now 200 miles on the Waterway. At Kirkfield, we took another of the two hydraulic lift locks (Peterborough was the first) and began our descent down to the Georgian Bay. We cruised on into Lake Simcoe to the Ojibway Bay Marina. Canada, of course, has a large Indian population and Ojibway is home to the Mnjikaning First Nation. This is THEIR land replete with the requisite casino. As with the Indian casinos in the US, these are large and elaborate buildings that showcase the pride of the particular tribe running the casino. The casinos are as hugely popular as in the US filled with patrons all nite long, I'm sure. The nearby community of Rama shares their name with the casino. Needless to say, we left our donation but had a wonderfully enjoyable several hours looking at everything displayed as well as playing the "jukeboxes".

We stayed only one nite here before moving on. We passed through Lake Couchiching heading for our next lock. Upon arrival at the lock, we found we had to wait on the Blue Line. We tied up with the other waiting boats then stood around visiting with the other cruisers until it was time to move into the lock. During this time, Sidney was nosing around the surrounding woods. Can you tell what is going to happen? Yup! We forgot to put him back on the boat. Out of sight; out of mind.

So, into the lock we go. We tie up and are conversing with the lockmaster and other cruisers. Steve is on the stern of the boat and while talking, notices this dog across the lock, outside the gate, that looks an awful lot like Sidney. Well, guess what, it WAS Sidney!! The lockmaster crossed over, let Sidney walk across the gates, and hop back into the boat. We all had a good laugh over that incident!! Just like the stories you hear of parents leaving their kids at the gas station.

The men and women running the locks show great pride in their work and responsibilities. Not only are they completely responsible for "their" lock, their customers (boaters using the locks), and the visitors who crowd around the locks during the working hours, they are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the lock grounds. Each lock had something to remember it by whether the beautiful gardens around the lockeepers house or the flower boxes on the lock gates. Not only we were completely fascinated by the pride the lockeepers had in "their" lock, we were interested in the schedule they kept. The locks open mid-May and are open until September. Each lockmaster is permanently assigned to his lock and is noted by seniority. They work 12 hour days from 7a.m to 7 p.m. when the locks close during those months. One day a week off. However, the hours they accumulate allow them to have the rest of the year off. Can you imagine? Yes, these positions are highly prized even though they work their tails off. Remember, the majority of these locks are manually operated including the gates on the dams. The manual operation of the gates means they trudge around in a circle operating the handle that opens and closes the locks. All day long! Truly a special memory!

View from the top of the Kirkfield Hydraulic Lift Lock

Hole-in-the-Wall Bridge

Perhaps one of the more interesting passages along the way was Hole-in-the-Wall Bridge. You might be able to ascertain, by the above picture, that passage through the "hole" was limited to one boat at a time...regardless of size. Additionally, the water is extremely shallow here, about 5 feet deep, so adherence to the cruising line was vitally important so as not to touch bottom. The Canadians, in their wisdom, have removed many of the day markers throughout the Trent Severn indicating the direction of travel. This is one of those areas. Once through Hole-in-the-Wall, you needed to bear to your left (port) because going right put you on the ground on top of nice hard rocks. But, there wasn't a day marker in site! You just prayed you were on the sailing line which kept you in deeper water. We made it but not without trepidation.

We could tell, by the landscape, that we were approaching Georgian Bay. Instead of rolling hills, pastureland and cottages on the shoreline, we saw moss-covered rocks, lichen, tall forests and rugged rocks. Channels cut through the land were narrow with the rocks right up to the shoreline and bleeding into the cut canal. While we saw very little wildlife through the entire canal, we did see osprey nests and hawks circling above. The Massasauga rattlesnake is a protected species we were warned about especially since Sidney is a hunting dog that loves to sniff the woods and rocks. Needless to say, we kept him close!

Swift Rapids Lock

July 19th Swift Rapids Lock, #43, just two more locks before we arrive in the Georgian Bay. This lock is a modern lock by comparison. Originally, a marine railway, built in 1919, carried boats through here but in 1965, the marine railway was replaced by this modern hydraulic system. Swift Rapids has the highest lift (or descent, in our case) of any of the conventional locks on the system, 47'. It is controlled by the lockmaster inside a tower and operates totally by computer. Once the process of emptying (or filling) the lock begins, it cannot be stopped. Again, unique to the system. Because of the remoteness of the lock, the staff commute into the lock by boat.

Our arrival at the lock was quite timely in that we were able to lock through before a major thunderstorm passed through the area. Once out of the lock, we tied to the Blue Line to await the storm passage before moving on down the road. And, yes, we made sure Sidney was on board!

Before we arrived at Big Chute, the marine railway, we passed through a narrow portion of the canal...again. A small community, Severn Falls, is at MM 228. Fairly remote from the twinkling lights of any big city, it offers an opportunity to tie up to a marina and spend the night before approaching the Railway Lock and enjoy some local cooking and/or hospitality. The 4.5 miles from here to the chute is narrow but beautiful; lush green wooded shoreline with cottages perched high up on the cliffs and large granite rocks again reminiscent of what we were to experience, in large abundance, in the Georgian Bay. Off the narrow channel, there were a few bays if one wanted to anchor out and spend one more quiet rural night before heading into the Bay. Not for us. We had already lingered nearly a month in the Trent Severn and time was awastin'! On to the railway.

Entering the Marine Railway

July 20th We had arrived at Big Chute last night and found about 5 other Loopers tied up to the public docks. During our trip through the Trent Severn, we had lost Colorado Cat but gained new friends...too many to mention and too many for my feeble mind to remember. Of note, Scott and Mary aboard Mascot, Bill and Jill aboard Transition, Steve and Jean on SunKat, and others. All waiting for their turn to trek across land, on the railway, and on to the Georgian Bay.

The weather was cool and blustery but no rain so we all gathered across from the docks in a public park for cocktails and appetizers. This is de rigour whenever a group of us gather at one spot. The girls make the "goodies", the guys are the bartenders, and we are all story-tellers. Of course, we only share the harrowing adventures as we tell of missing rocks, scraping bottom, near misses like leaving the dog behind, fish stories, etc. This, I think, is the best part of the trip...the people we've met, the friends we've made, the memories of a lifetime.

July 21st We woke to another windy day. Bright and clear...but windy. After watching the lock through process, nearly all of us decided to wait another day before we braved the marine railway. The one thing none of us took into consideration was the day...it was Friday. A decision, that while it was probably correct, we would soon come to regret.

Boat moving onto the Chute

The process of entering the Chute was rather simple. You tied up to the Blue Line and awaited a call from the operator to move up to the Chute. Normally, smaller boats were loaded first to the front of the platform and secured. Since there were few smaller boats this day, the first bigger boat was called forward and entered the chute. After placement was deemed appropriate, the operators raised the sling holding the boat in place and lowered the bow of the boat unto the floor of the platform with its stern hanging over the back so as not to damage the props.

Then, it was up, up, and away or, more correctly, over the land barrier to the other side, and

refloated. All this takes about an hour.

While we were spending the day before, waiting for the winds to lay down, we toured the area and spent several hours watching other boats crossing from one side to the other. There is a museum next to the railway that gives the history of the marine railway, its purpose, and why there isn't a lock here instead.

The original railway, built in 1917, was replaced in 1978 with a larger modernized version capable of transporting up to 100' boats. Once on the railway, it takes just 7" to move the 600' across the land barrier. Many have asked why not a lock? In 1977, when the old railway was decommissioned and the new railway was under construction, at a cost of $2.9 million, the lamprey eel was a major nuisance and the Canada Parks System did not want the eel migrating upstream via the Trent Severn. Hence, the new railway instead of a modern hydraulic lock like at Swift Rapids. Additionally, one of the first hydro-generating plants (electricity to us Americans!) sits on the site. Originally constructed in 1911, it was replaced by a modernized generating plant at the same time. The hydro plant provides electricity for the surrounding areas of Penetang and Midland. There is about an hour walking tour of the decommissioned hydro plant that gives you a perspective of how electricity is generated utilizing the available water source.

Steve and Sidney find a comfortable place to ride the Chute

After all the anticipation and worry, the Wild Turkey had her ride on the railway without incident. The operators were kind enough to check our props and bottom while the boat was in the sling to ascertain any damage. Proclaimed sound, we sighed with relief.

Arriving at the bottom of the Chute, we were splashed and on our way. We had closed our sea cocks prior to being loaded but on the way down, when we figured no water would rush out due to our degree of tilt, I rushed down and opened them so that we would have no delay leaving the railway. Off we went to the last lock on the system, Lock 45. Passing through this lock would be our grand entrance into the Georgian Bay. We were so excited to be closing another section of the Adventure.

Just after leaving the railway, we had to pass through Little Chute, a very narrow and turbulent channel. We radioed ahead to announce our impending passage since there, again, was room for only one boat. Having made that safely, we meandered down to Lock 45. Only 8 miles.

Approaching the lock, it became apparent that we were going to have to wait. Not unusual since this was Saturday and always a busy boating day, regardless of weather, and this was no exception. The problem was the lack of space to just hang out 'til your turn to lock through in addition to the fact this is the smallest lock in the system and can take only one big boat at a time along with a number of small boats.

Believe it or not, there must have been 30 boats milling around in a small bay in front of the lock. There were two public docks to tie to in addition to room for one boat on the blue line. You had to be there to understand the free-for-all!. What a ZOO! especially since the wind was blowing at 15 knots (about +16 mph).

But, we made it...FINALLY. We were on our way to Beacon Bay Marina in Penetanguishine across the way about 15 miles.

We're now in Georgian Bay. It's July 21st. And another chapter is closed.