Rideau << rih DOH >> Canal is a Canadian waterway connecting the Ottawa River at Ottawa with Lake Ontario at Kingston. It consists of the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers, several lakes, and some short canals. It is 123 miles (198 kilometers) long and has 47 locks. Each lock measures 134 feet (41 meters) long, 33 feet (10 meters) wide, and 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep. One branch of the canal, known as the Tay branch, extends to the town of Perth and has two locks. The Rideau Canal Skateway, a 5-mile (8-kilometer) stretch of the canal, is open to ice skaters in winter if the weather permits.
The Rideau Canal was completed in 1832. It was designed to provide a safe route for gunboats and military supplies between Montreal and the Great Lakes. In 1925, the canal was designated a national historic site of Canada. In 2007, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the canal to its World Heritage List. This list includes sites with great cultural or natural value.
