Sault Ste. Marie in Algoma District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

The First Sault Ste. Marie Canal

Le Premier Canal de Sault Ste-Marie

Photographed by Kevin Craft, July 4, 2017

1. The First Sault Ste. Marie Canal Marker

Inscription.
The French explorers who first reached this favoured Ojibway hunting and fishing ground were soon followed by fur traders and missionaries who built a post and mission. By 1762 the region had come under British control and the trade eventually fell into the hands of the North West Company. Canoes and larger boats were towed through the rapids, sometimes by oxen, until 1797-8 when the Company built a canal with a wooden lock sufficiently large to admit a Montreal canoe. The lock was destroyed by American troops in 1814.

Les marchands et les missionnaires suivirent de près les explorateurs françeis dans cette région où les Sauteux aimaient faire la pêche et la chasse, et ils y établirent un comptoir et une mission. Vers 1762, la région, dominée par les Britanniques, vit le commerée des fourrures passer à la Compagnie du Nord-Ouest. Canots et bateaux étaient halés, parfois par des boeufs, à travers les-rapides, mais en 1797-1798, la Compagnie aménagea un canal doté d'une écluse de bois assez grande pour y admettre un canot de maître. L'écluse fut détruite par les troupes américaines en 1814.

Erected by Historic Sites

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and Monuments Board of Canada.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812 • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1762.

Location. 46° 30.946′ N, 84° 20.916′ W. Marker is in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in Algoma District. It is on Huron Street 0.1 kilometers south of Canal Drive, on the right when traveling south. Marker is beside the remains of the first canal at the south end of Huron Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 75 Huron Street, Sault Ste Marie ON P6A 5P4, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Area

and in Northern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Great North Woods,

on the Great Lakes,

on Lake Superior’s North Shore,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty

Wideview of The First Sault Ste. Marie Canal Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kevin Craft, July 4, 2017

2. Wideview of The First Sault Ste. Marie Canal Marker

of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sault Ste. Marie World War II Memorial (a few steps from this marker); 1783 (within shouting distance of this marker); 1821 (within shouting distance of this marker); Francis Hector Clergue (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); 70th Anniversary Dutch-Canadian Friendship Tulip Garden (about 210 meters away); To The Voyageurs (about 240 meters away); The North West Company Post (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); 1870 (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sault Ste. Marie.

The First Sault Ste. Marie Canal image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kevin Craft, July 4, 2017

3. The First Sault Ste. Marie Canal

Text on nearby marker:
This is a restoration of the first Bateau Lock 38 feet long 9 feet wide built by the North West Company in 1798. It was part of the first canal between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. A tow path extended from this lock west along the canal bank to the upper St. Mary's River.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2017. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2017, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. This page has been viewed 452 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 1, 2017, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.