Lachine Canal National Historic Site

To discover, see and do...

The Lachine Canal stretches 14.5 kilometres from downtown Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis. The entrance to the canal network linking the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of the continent, it heralded the transportation revolution in Canada in the early 19th century. As a source of hydraulic power, the canal also played a key role in Montreal's industrial development. This corridor became one of the main manufacturing centres in Canada from the beginning of industrialization in the mid-19th century until the Second World War. Over the past 20 years, millions of cyclists and pedestrians have visited the banks of the canal, with its countless details evoking the past. Major revitalization plans have strengthened its heritage vocation, as the canal was re-opened to pleasure boating in 2002.