The Rideau Canal, also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The Rideau Canal was completed in 1832 and is still in use today. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. In 2000 the Rideau Waterway was designated a Canadian Heritage River in recognition of its outstanding historical and recreational values.
Today, pleasure craft make use of the Rideau Canal. Boat tours of the Canal are offered in the city of Ottawa and hobbyist boaters can make use of it to travel between Ottawa and Kingston with ease. The next centuries will see the Rideau as it is today, with people enjoying the pleasure of boating its tranquil waters. As society as a whole continues to become more affluent, and as the "baby boomer" generation discovers the sedate pleasure of boating, it can be expected that transient boating use of the Rideau will increase in the decades to come.
In winter, the section of the Rideau Canal which passes through the city of Ottawa becomes the world's longest skating rink. The cleared area is 7.8 kilometers long and has the equivalent surface area of 90 Olympic hockey rinks. It serves as a popular tourist attraction and recreational area and is also the focus of the Winterlude festival in Ottawa. Beaver Tails, pastries topped with ingredients such as cinnamon, lemon, and maple syrup, are a popular treat on the Canal and are sold, along with other foods, in kiosks scattered along the length of the skateway.
The bottom line though isn't money. The Rideau Waterway is a living part of Canada's heritage. It opened up the region, it founded the City of Ottawa, our national capital, and the very fibre of the stones that make up the locks and dams embraces the spirit of those early pioneers who worked so hard to make Canada the great country it is today!
On a total dollar generating basis, it most certainly is a money maker for the entire region. A recent study showed that the canal contributes over $24 million to the provincial GDP and sustains over 600 full-time jobs. The annual budget for the canal (operation and maintenance) is about $10 million.
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