Federal Infrastructure InvestmentAddition of Visitor Infrastructure at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site

Lachine Canal National Historic Site

Built in 1825 to bypass the Lachine Rapids, the Lachine Canal runs 14.5 km between Montréal’s Old Port and Lake Saint-Louis. The gateway to a network of canals linking the Atlantic to the heart of the continent, the Lachine Canal paved the way for the urbanization of the southwest part of the Island of Montréal. Much more than an inland waterway, the canal is also a bustling urban park with a surprisingly rich history. Each year, more than a million visitors enjoy the banks of the Lachine Canal. Canal activities and facilities provide an opportunity to explore the history of this industrialization and navigation landmark, while enjoying a unique urban setting. Parks Canada maintains the site annually from mid-April to mid-November.

This project echoes a number of the strategies in the Lachine Canal Management Plan, recently tabled in the House of Commons: renewing the facilities and services offered, in order to better reflect the expectations of a variety of different users as well as the recent transformations of adjacent neighbourhoods; increasing integration of the canal with adjacent communities to foster their ownership and to create positive impacts; and, lastly, creating a strong identity for the canal and providing a distinctive signature that is rooted in the heritage values of the site, making it a major destination for local visitors and tourists.

Preliminary project name: “Atwater-Des Seigneurs North link”

Project description: The work, which is set to begin in August 2018, involves the creation of a new one-kilometre section of path on the north side of the Lachine Canal, between Atwater Market and Rue des Seigneurs. This area of the canal is currently undeveloped and not easily accessible to the public.

This project also involves fitting up a (three-season) service building with washroom facilities, a multi-purpose room, and the electrical connections required to install 30 new lampposts to provide lighting for the new section of path. Sections of the site will also be available as rental spaces for various activities.

The new infrastructure will reduce congestion in one of the busiest areas of the Lachine Canal, in addition to enhancing the visitor experience and services for users.

The “Atwater-Des Seigneurs North link” project at the Lachine Canal was initially included in the August 2015 Federal Infrastructure Investment announcement. A portion of the project involves soil decontamination work, which will be carried out prior to building the path and funded under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP). The total federal investment in this project is valued at approximately $6 million.

 Work will begin in August 2018 and will run until August 2019. The new path segment will be accessible to visitors in the end of summer 2019.

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