Ville-Marie in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Le site des écluses nos 1 et 2
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The site of locks 1 and 2
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024
1. Le site des écluses nos 1 et 2 / The site of locks 1 and 2 Marker
Le site des écluses nos 1 et 2
Quatre écluses, deux bassins, mais un seul canal!
Le canal construit en 1825 rejoignait le fleuve à l'ouest de la vieille ville. Son entrée aval comptait trois petites écluses disposées l'une à la suite de l'autre. Cet escalier fait place en 1848 à deux écluses plus grandes que sépare un bassin plus large, le bief no 1. Deux nouvelles écluses s'ajoutent aux anciennes en 1885. À partir de ce moment, l'entrée du canal se compose de quatre écluses, nos 1 et 2 nord et nos 1 et 2 sud, ainsi que des biefs no 1 nord et no 1 sud. La complexité du site est à la mesure du trafic qui ne cesse de croître: il n'est pas rare de voir les quatre écluses occupées en même temps.
De la Pointe-du-Moulin-à-Vent à la ville contemporaine
Autrefois sise à l'extérieur des murs de la ville, la Pointe-du-Moulin-à-Vent a donné son nom à ce secteur du canal et du port. Ses abords ont bien changé! L'industrialisation des berges-du canal et l'urbanisation qui en a résulté ont profondément transformé le paysage environnant. Poursuivez votre route le long du canal et découvrez toute la richesse patrimoniale
this page online
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• Améliorations au canal de Lachine, 1877.
• L’entrée du canal dans le Vieux-Port de Montréal, 1930.
• Le vieux moulin à l’entrée du canal de Lachine.
• L’écluse no 2, 1908.
• L’entrée du canal dans le Vieux-Port de Montréal, 2000.
The site of locks 1 and 2
Four locks, two basins, one canal
The canal built in 1825 met the river on the west side of the old city. Its downstream entrance comprised a series of three small locks, which were replaced in 1848 by two larger locks separated by a wider basin, Basin No. 1. In 1885, two more locks were added. The entrance to the canal now comprises four locks, Nos. 1 and 2 North, and Nos. 1 and 2 South, and two basins, No. 1 North and No. 1 South. The complexity of the site and the volume of traffic kept increasing: it was not unusual to see all four locks occupied at the same time.
From Windmill Point to the contemporary city
Formerly located beyond the city walls, Windmill Point gave its name to this sector of the canal and the harbour. The neighbourhood has definitely changed. The industrialization of the canal banks and the resulting urbanization totally
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024
2. Le site des écluses nos 1 et 2 / The site of locks 1 and 2 Marker
Looking east across the canal at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site.
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• Lachine Canal improvements, 1877.
• Entrance to the canal in the Old Port of Montreal, 1930.
• Old windmill at the entrance to the Lachine Canal.
• Lock No. 2, 1908.
• Entrance to the canal in the Old Port of Montreal, 2000
Erected by Parcs Canada & Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal / Parks Canada & Old Port of Montreal Corporation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1825.
Location. 45° 29.812′ N, 73° 33.149′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec. It is in Ville-Marie. It can be reached from the intersection of Rue de la Commune Ouest and Rue King, on the right when traveling north. The marker is on the canal walkway at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 Rue de la Commune Ouest, Montréal QC H3C 0N8, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere,
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024
3. Site of Locks 1 and 2
View across the canal from near the marker.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Un petit monde en soi / A World Unto Itself (within shouting distance of this marker); L'époque revolue des canalers / The Era of the Canaler (within shouting distance of this marker); Une ville en profonde mutation / Transformation of a City (within shouting distance of this marker); La batellerie du Saint-Laurent / The St. Lawrence Fleet (within shouting distance of this marker); Le berceau de l'industrie / Cradle of Canadian Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); Les canaux du Saint-Laurent / The St. Lawrence Canals (within shouting distance of this marker); Trois Siecles D'histoire / Three Centuries of History (within shouting distance of this marker); Vers L'intérieur du continent / Gateway to the Interior (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montréal.
Also see . . . Montreal’s Locks (Lachine Canal National Historic Site).
Excerpt: Originally, three locks were built in Montreal, not without difficulty due to the proximity of the St. Lawrence River. To stabilize the sandy ground, piles were installed, along with a wharf and a jetty, still located today near De la Commune and Mill streets. With limited access to water, two wells were dug to provide residents with drinking water. The northern sector of De la Commune Street was reserved for merchants needing storage space.(Submitted on June 1, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)In response to increased maritime traffic, two canal levels (or “reaches”) were added in the 1830s. Then, in the 1840s, the locks were widened to accommodate larger ships. In 1844, the number of locks in Montreal was reduced from three to two. By 1848, they measured 61 metres long by 14 metres wide and 2.75 metres deep and large enough to receive ocean-going vessels.
In 1871, Canada modernized its canal network to stimulate interprovincial trade. Between 1875 and 1879, Montreal’s locks were twinned. A new entrance to the port reshaped the landscape with two parallel locks, a basin, and a jetty. By the 1930s, over 10,000 passages were recorded annually.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on June 1, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
