Ste. Anne canal commemorated

BY ELYSE AMEND

elyse.amend@transcontinental.ca

Whether it’s a stroll down the boardwalk, a dinner by the water’s edge, or a lazy day spent on a boat, the Ste. Anne de Bellevue Canal is an attraction popular with tourists and West Island natives alike.

The federal government recently commemorated the canal by unveiling a new Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) plaque explaining the national historic significance of the Ste. Anne de Bellevue Canal, which visitors will now be able to consult.

“It is an important part of our heritage, locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Pierre Claude Nolin, minister responsible for Parks Canada, who was on hand for the ceremony. He also pointed out the canal is one of Quebec’s most visited landmarks. “We should take advantage of these last days of summer and be charmed by what the canal has to offer.”

Historian Michel Belisle gave a short overview of the canal’s past, which began with the construction of the first lock in 1843. The lock allowed boats to bypass the Ste. Anne rapids, which made trade to the Upper Ottawa Valley and Quebec City easier. A second lock was constructed between 1879 and 1882 for the region’s growing lumber trade. Commercial navigation in the Ste. Anne de Bellevue canal ended in 1963. A year later, the first lock was filled in and landscaped, and is now used for recreation.

According to Luc-Andre Mercier of Parks Canada, new research and updates on historical data for sites like the canal are always important.

“It’s a national historical site, so if we do work, we have to make sure we’re not endangering the historical resources,” he said, adding that installing interpretation panels, engineering work on the canal’s walls, and historical and archeological research are all part of Parks Canada’s 2005-2010 management plan. “We have some historical research that was done 20, 25 years ago and we would like to be sure, if there are new facts about the canal, that we are knowledgeable of them.”

For example, Mercier said they know there used to be a mill at the canal, and they are currently working on finding out more details as to where exactly it was located and when it was built.

As for the Town of Ste. Anne de Bellevue, the canal has always played a starring role.

“It’s very important for us,” said councilor Lucie Larose, who filled in for mayor Bill Tierney while he was out of town. “It’s a historical site that played an immense role in the economic and social development of Montreal and Canada, and it goes right through our town. We can only be proud of that.”ꆱ