The Rideau Canal runs right through downtown Ottawa on its way south to Kingston and Lake Ontario. Opened in 1832 as a military supply route, it is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and in winter its Ottawa stretch freezes into the Rideau Canal Skateway, used by commuters and visitors alike.
The Rideau Canal at a glance
- Where: the canal enters the Ottawa River through a flight of eight locks between Parliament Hill and the Château Laurier, then runs south past the National Arts Centre to Dows Lake and beyond.
- Built: 1826 to 1832.
- By: Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, with contractors such as Thomas McKay and John Redpath and thousands of Irish, Scottish and French-Canadian labourers.
- What it is today: a recreational waterway run by Parks Canada, open to boats from May to October, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.
- Time needed: 30 minutes to watch the Ottawa Locks; an hour or two to walk or cycle the canal paths.
A war route that never saw war
After the War of 1812, the British feared that an American attack could cut the St. Lawrence River link between Montreal and the naval base at Kingston. The Rideau Canal was their answer: a safer inland route using the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers. Colonel By chose to raise water levels with dams and drown the rapids instead of digging long new channels, and the work was finished in under six years. As many as a thousand workers died during construction, most of them from malaria and other diseases.
The canal was never needed for war. Instead it carried immigrants, timber and grain until the St. Lawrence locks and, in 1854, the railway took the traffic. The construction camp at the canal's northern end grew into Bytown, which was renamed Ottawa in 1855 and became the capital. Colonel By himself was recalled to London over the cost overruns and received no honours for the work.
What to look for
- The Ottawa Locks: eight locks in a staircase that lift boats about 24 metres from the Ottawa River, still operated by hand by Parks Canada staff turning cranks on the gates.
- The Commissariat Building next to the locks, built in 1827 as a storehouse and now the Bytown Museum, the oldest stone building in Ottawa.
- The lock office at the top of the flight, built in 1884, and the view down the locks to the river.
- The stone walls and limestone cliffs below Parliament Hill, which supplied much of the stone for the locks.
- In winter, the Skateway: a groomed stretch of frozen canal from downtown to Dows Lake, with warming huts and food stalls along the way when conditions allow.
Skating to work
The Rideau Canal Skateway first opened in 1971 and stretches about 7.8 kilometres, roughly the area of 90 Olympic hockey rinks. On good winter mornings people really do skate to work on it, briefcase in hand. The season depends entirely on the cold, so it can last weeks or only a few days, and in recent mild winters it has opened late or not at all.
Tips for your visit
- In summer, come when boats are passing through the Ottawa Locks; watching a boat descend all eight steps takes over an hour, but even one lock is worth a look.
- For the best photo, stand on the Plaza Bridge or by the Château Laurier and look down the flight of locks towards the Ottawa River.
- If you want to skate, check the Skateway status the same day; the ice is only open when the National Capital Commission declares it safe.
Nearby
- Parliament Hill: the Gothic Revival home of Canada's Parliament, directly above the locks.
- Château Laurier: the railway hotel with copper roofs, beside the top of the locks.
- ByWard Market: one of Canada's oldest public markets, with food stalls and restaurants, a few minutes' walk east.
- National Arts Centre: the arts complex on the canal's west bank, with a terrace by the water.
See Ottawa with World City Trail
Our Ottawa scavenger hunt turns the city centre into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 34 minutes of walking. It includes Parliament Hill, the Centennial Flame and the National War Memorial.
If you prefer a different format, Ottawa also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Ottawa scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Ottawa →
Play the outdoor escape game in Ottawa →
Facts checked in October 2026.