Coteau-du-Lac in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
A dry canal
Un canal à sec
Located at the confluence of the Delisle and St. Lawrence rivers, the point of land at Coteau-du-Lac was originally surrounded by water.
However, with the construction of hydroelectric dams and the St. Lawrence Seaway, the water level of the St. Lawrence has been lowered by 2.5 m. As a result, water no longer surrounds the point or enters the canal.
The basin at the entrance to the canal right in front of you looks very different from the way it did when boats from Montréal used the canal to bypass the rapids at Coteau-du-Lac.
Basin at the Entrance to the Canal
This illustration shows the basin at the lower entrance to the canal in the early 19th century. Boats travelling from Montréal to the Great Lakes entered the canal from its lower end, passed through the locks and then continued their journey upstream.
This painting by Captain Henry Rudyerd, a royal engineer in the British army, shows the point at Coteau-du-Lac in 1788. It depicts the lower entrance to the canal and several of the buildings that existed on the site at that time.
French:
Localisée au confluent de la rivière Delisle et du fleuve Saint-Laurent, la pointe de Coteau-du-lac était à l’origine entourée d’eau.
Cependant, depuis la construction de barrages hydro-électriques et la canalisation de la voie maritime du Saint-Laurent, le niveau des eaux du fleuve a subi une baisse de 2.5 mètres. Voilà pourquoi les eaux ne contournent plus la pointe du site et ne pénètrent plus a l’intérieur du canal.
Le bassin d’entree du canal situé juste en face de vous, n’offre donc plus l’aspect qu’il avait à l’époque où les bateaux en provenance de Montréal, empruntaient la voie canalisée pour éviter les rapides de Coteau-du-lac.
Le bassin d’entree du canal
La scène ci-contre évoque le bassin d’entrée d’aval au début du 19ᵉ siècle. Les bateaux en provenance de Montréal s’engageaient dans le canal par cette entrée, franchissaient les écluses puis poursuivaient leur route vers les Grands-Lacs.
Cette scène représente la pointe de Coteau-du-lac en 1788. On peut observer l’entrée d’aval du canal ainsi que divers bâtiments construits sur le site à cette époque. Cette iconographie fut réalisée par le capitaine Henry Rudyerd des ingénieurs royaux de l’armée britannique.
Erected by Parks Canada / Parcs Canada.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War of 1812 • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1788.
Location. 45° 17.28′ N, 74° 10.531′ W. Marker is in Coteau-du-Lac, Québec, in Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Marker can be reached from Chemin du Fleuve close to Rue du Fort, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 307 Chemin du Fleuve, Coteau-du-Lac QC J0P 1B0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Durham boat (a few steps from this marker); A very busy canal (within shouting distance of this marker); Destination: Great Lakes / Destination: Les Grands Lacs (within shouting distance of this marker); Adapting the canal to new needs (within shouting distance of this marker); A canal that must be preserved (within shouting distance of this marker); What is a lock canal? (within shouting distance of this marker); Worth Defending! / Mission: Parry Any Land-based Movements (within shouting distance of this marker); North blockhouse / Le blockhaus nord (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Coteau-du-Lac.
More about this marker. This marker is located at Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 291 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 28, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.