SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BELLEVUE, QUEBEC, July 28, 2005 -- On behalf of the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Louis, presided today over the launch of a new heritage guide The Doorway to the Ottawa Valley, at the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site of Canada.
"For more than a century, the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal has been one of the town's principal points of interest, and of the utmost importance in the economic development of the region. With the new heritage guide, we are paying homage to the Canadians who built the canal and worked here," said Minister Dion.
The guide recounts the important points in the history of the canalization of the Ottawa River. It sheds light on the canal works built along this strategic waterway and the various uses to which they were put during the 19th and 20th centuries.
"The Doorway to the Ottawa Valley represents an invaluable source of information for all visitors, whether from here or elsewhere, who would like to know more about the history of
canal-building on the Ottawa River and across our great country," Mr. Scarpaleggia said.
During the ceremony, new interpretation facilities at the canal were also opened to the public. Visitors will now be able to learn more about the canal's history through nine new exhibition panels, an interpretation exhibit on railway heritage and a series of photographs, illustrations and plans displayed in the lockstation.
Located to the west of Montreal, the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal links Lac Saint-Louis to Lac des Deux-Montagnes and ensures that the Ottawa River is navigable as far as Ottawa. Today, the Sainte-Anne Lock is mostly used by pleasure boaters. More than 180,000 people annually visit this site, which is part of our network of national historic sites and national parks that Parks Canada preserves and presents for the benefit of all Canadians.
Information:
André LamarreDirector of Communications
Office of the Ministerof the Environment
(819) 997-1441
Lorraine Neault
Principal Manager
Upper St-Lawrence, Ottawa Valley and Témiscamingue Sector
Parks Canada
(450) 601-7488
