The St. Lawrence River: Canada’s Lifeline

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Words by William Ennis

North America was discovered by Vikings in the 10th century. There is strong speculation that they also entered the St. Lawrence River. These discoveries were way, way ahead of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Not only was Columbus not the discoverer of North America, it seems as how some European fishermen had been fishing off the coast of Newfoundland for years prior to the 1400’s. France wanted to learn more about the new continent and they assumed they could pass through and find a water route to Asia. When Jacques Cartier entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1534 he thought this was it. He found the Magdalene Islands, way out in the gulf. Nowadays, if you take a ferry from Prince Edward Island, you will find an oasis of scattered islands, wonderful sand dunes, very colourful sandstone cliffs, and amazing places to eat.

He stopped along the Quebec coast in the Bay of Chaleur (bay of heat) and traded with the natives. Recognizing the riches of the new land he established a trade in furs, and decided the lumber potential would be good for France so he claimed the Gaspe Peninsula for France. Now, the drive around the Gaspe coast is one of the great drives in the east with stunning views of the sea with a back drop of cliffs.

He returned the next year sailing west to the site that would become modern Montreal, where he was stopped by the rapids. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded a settlement at modern Quebec City. He realized he wasn’t going to find the North West Passage, so he explored and established fur trading posts. The fur trade helped sustain his little settlement in Quebec.

By now, people wanted to head up the river. Money was raised to dig a canal to bypass the Lachine Rapids at Montreal in 1680, which 100 years later were improved using a 7-lock canal. Improvements by the British in 1824 turned it into a 5 lock canal. Now you can ride your bike, or walk, along the 14 km Lachine Canal and be surrounded by green space in downtown Montreal, and perhaps visit the Canal Lounge Floating Café.

Traffic up the river was thwarted by the rough, turbulent water of the Long Sault Rapids and these were conquered by another lock and canal system.

Around 1950 Canada started plans to build a waterway that could carry large ocean-going ships to Lake Superior. Negotiations with the U.S. went bad, Canada decided to go it alone… and then the U.S. joined the project.

It was a massive project. In Montreal they had to jack four major bridges to give 36 m (118 ft) clearance for the ships without stopping traffic. The big Jacques Cartier Bridge had to go up 15 m (49 ft). To level out the Long Sault Rapids, they decided on creating a new lake and two huge new locks. When it was easy to cross the border, you could drive to the Eisenhower Lock and watch ships sailing across the road while you drove underneath them.

A big power dam, the Saunders Dam, produces power for both Canada and the U.S. This new reservoir flooded a lot of Canadian property, submerging farms and villages, displacing 6,500 people. We watched huge trucks pick up big homes and move them to new sites and new villages. Cemetery residents also got new locations on dry land.

Something good came from all this flooding. Several hills remained dry because the reservoir was not deep enough to flood them. The government connected these with causeways and created the Long Sault Parkway, which is just off Hwy 401 and consists of a pleasant slow drive with the water on both sides. There are picnic areas along the route and very nice campgrounds. Some campgrounds have fishing boats tied up along shore, and I’ve seen many excited people going out fishing from their campsite. These are really nice campsites and are all well-spaced out.

Further up the river is Upper Canada Heritage Park and another nearby campground. This village is a flashback to the mid-1800s, showing us a more relaxing era. Enter the park and walk under a leafy bower to keep you cool as you stroll through the lives of the not-too-distant past.

The Blacksmith shop is an eye opener for those who wonder, ‘how did they make those things’. From gate hinges to horse shoes, the blacksmith turned them out with a lot of heat from the forge, and many well-placed hammer blows. At the Tinsmith’s shop you will see more wonderfully designed and created items that look almost impossible to create without industrial machinery.

Reflected in the water of the mill pond is the magnificent limestone sawmill building. This is a great place to visit. The spicy odour of freshly sawed pine cannot be beat with its tempting aromas. Outside are several piles of fresh lumber, and waiting to be sawed are several logs. These will be dragged inside and you can watch the sawing taking place.

The power comes from a very basic waterwheel that provides about 5 hp not much, but enough to run a simple vertical saw. These saws move up and down and the log is pushed into the sharp edge. It doesn’t look very fast, but the piles of lumber outside tell the story. It gets the job done. It’s also a big step ahead of the days when two men pulled the saw up and down. One man was above pulling up, the other, down below in the pit pulling down and getting a shower of chips and sawdust with each stroke.

If you pass by the bakery at the right time, the aroma of freshly baked bread fills the street. You are able to purchase these loaves at the Village Store at the entrance to the park.

As you approach the source of the St. Lawrence River, you’ll enter the most scenic part of the river where the water passes among a myriad of islands in the Thousand Island Region. This area is filled with water craft of all types and sizes. It’s a water playground area as evidenced by the luxurious homes on the tree-clad islands of exposed rock.

These islands owe their presence to the Frontenac Axis, a (50 mi) 80 km wide tongue of granites and other igneous rocks that cross the river between Kingston and Brockville, connecting the Canadian Shield to the Adirondack Range. The great continental glacier carved the hard hills into the elongated streaks that would become islands when the ice retreated and the river began to flow.

Old Fort Henry, in Kingston, still aims its cannons across the water waiting for the attack from south of the border, which still has not come. Its stone walls hide secrets from the past and it’s open for visits with period costumed staff and impressive ceremonies.

The St. Lawrence River beckoned the early explorer and it beckons you. Hop in the RV and take a leisurely tour along the river or just enjoy the comfortable short sections.

For more information:

http://www.uppercanadavillage.com/

http://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/en/

http://www.quebecmaritime.ca/en/discover-our-regions/gaspesie - about Gaspe