Historic Shubenacadie Canal System

Historic Shubenacadie Canal System. Lock 2. Vessels entering Lock two, traveling northward, were approximately 19 meters above the level of the Harbour. This lock would raise them another three or four meters enabling them the make their way along the canal to Lock three. This present lock was completed in 1857. However the first lock at this site was constructed by Irish and Scottish canal workers in the late 1820’s. It was built totally of granite and was much larger than the present one - six meters longer and over a meter wider. The granite was obtained from the King’s Quarry in Purcells Cove. Horse-drawn carts transported the rough stones from the Harbour to the foot of Lake Banook where they were loaded on a barge and transported to the shore close by. The final shaping of the stones was carried out in this area by highly skilled stone masons who lived in small crude huts just to the east of the lock., The granite used on the east wall of Lock two was from the original structure. However, all the stones had to be removed and reset. The west wall was constructed following a procedure used on American waterway such as the Morris Canal in New Jersey which became a model for the Shubenacadie. Because of the two types of construction, this Lock is referred to by engineers as a “hybrid.” This may be te only such lock in existence., Not far from this Lock, on the shores of Lake Micmac, was a camping area used by the Mi’kmaq who frequently canoed the canal system. When their craft were loaded, the Mi’kmaq used the locks and inclined plane in a manner similar to the canal barges. There are a number of referenced in the canal-keepers’ logs which speak of passing a canoe through the lock or over the incline. Other stop-over areas used by the Mi’kmaq were located near Red Bridge Pond and on lands now known as Findlay Park, adjacent to Lock one. During the 1970’s an archaeological excavation on the shores of Lake Micmac unearthed many stone tools which are now part of the collection of the Nova Scotia Museum., (Sidebar on the left. To enlarge the map, click of the photo image.), . Used by the Mi’kmaq for centuries, the Shubenacadie waterway was carved out of the bedrock by glaciers during the last ice age. , . Work on the Canal system began in 1826, ceased in 1831 and resumed in 1854. The Canal was completed in 1861. Construction of 9 locks, and 2 incline planes connected the chain of 7 lakes and the Shubenacadie River enabling boats to travel from Halifax Harbour to the Minas Basin. , . The Shubenacadie Canal opened in sections and operated between 1856 and 1870. Steam vessels hauled barges laden with goods along the System. , . By 1870, railways were able to transport goods cheaper and faster forcing closure of the Canal. , . Today the Shubenacadie Canal System is a National Historic Civil Engineering site and a popular recreation and heritage corridor.