Federal Infrastructure Investments Project Updates along the Lachine Canal National Historic Site
Backgrounder
Parks Canada is investing more than $250 million over five years in each of Quebec's five historic canals to upgrade a number of structural components of these recreational heritage sites. These projects will enhance the experience of the more than one million people who visit these exceptional sites each year, while supporting local economies and contributing to the growth of the tourism sector.
As a result of this investment, Parks Canada has set major infrastructure projects in motion over the past two years at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site.
Lock Rehabilitation
Between 2015 and 2017, mechanical and electrical work was done on locks Nos.1 and 2 located in the Old Port of Montreal area. Removal of sediment was carried out, the footbridges were replaced, and new control panels were installed to facilitate operation of the lock gates. Between now and 2020, mechanical, electrical and masonry work will also be conducted on locks Nos. 3, 4 and 5.
Rehabilitation of Retaining Walls and Banks
The ambitious project to refurbish the Lachine Canal walls is currently underway. Work was conducted in 2016-2017 between Lapierre and Léger streets of the Borough of LaSalle, as well as between Irwin Street and Monk Bridge in the Southwest Borough. The use of a concrete spraying technique helped accelerate the rehabilitation of some wall sections over a length of 582 meters.
Footbridges
Work was recently completed on the Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier footbridge. Included in the work carried out was the refurbishment of the deck, the expansion joints and the abutments, as well as the cleaning and painting of the steel structure. A temporary footbridge was installed at lock No. 4 to allow the continued movement of users during the work. Further upgrades are planned over the coming years, including work on the Atwater Footbridge, which is one of the busiest on the Lachine Canal.
Tunnels
In 2016 and 2017, work was conducted on the Des Seigneurs, Charlevoix and Wellington (North and South) tunnels in order to limit the formation of ice and promote the drainage of water which accumulated in the tunnels during the spring thaw. Similar work is planned for the Gauron and Lafleur tunnels in 2017-2018.
Safety Management of Traffic on the Path
Parks Canada continues its efforts to improve safety on the Lachine Canal path, notably by the rearrangement of certain intersections, the review of traffic signs, the addition of lamp posts and the enlargement of the path in certain areas.
Rehabilitation of Workshops
The Mill Street workshops, the utility buildings closely associated with operations of the canal since the last century, underwent major rehabilitation work on building mechanics, electricity, windows and siding. This work will continue until 2020 and will include, among other things, the rehabilitation of the machine shop (building No. 2) whose façade is along Mill Street and is one of the oldest industrial buildings in Quebec built entirely of concrete.
LaSalle-Coke Crane
The last mechanical engineering remnant related to the industrial past of the Lachine Canal, the LaSalle-Coke Crane has had part of its weight removed as a result of the dismantling of its two operating cabins. The Parks Canada cultural resources conservation team recently studied the dismantled mechanical parts and identified some elements which could be used to help tell the industrial stories of the canal’s past to visitors. Over the coming years, efforts to stabilize and conserve the structure of the LaSalle-Coke Crane will continue. It is one of the few examples of a coal unloading crane remaining in Canada and the world.
While this work is in progress, Parks Canada is working closely with its partners to ensure the safety of users and to minimize the impact of the work on visitor services, as well as on local economic and tourist activities. For information on the infrastructure projects underway at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site and to properly plan your visit, please consult www.parkscanada.gc.ca/canallachine.
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