Lachine, the Historic Village of Montreal – Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Lachine, the Historic Village of Montréal

May 17^th, 2002 will mark the date when there will be the reopening of Lachine Canal.

The Canal was closed in 1970 and since 1997 the Federal and Municipal Governments have poured in millions of dollars in order to revitalize this famous landmark into a tourist infrastructure.

One of the most important elements of this revitalization will be the creation of a marina that will accommodate over 10,000 boaters in its first season. The canal has five locks and it is projected that all five will be in operation once the Canal opens in 2002.

Lachine is a suburb of Montreal located about nine miles from the heart of downtown and was originally a rest station and outpost for the fur trade.

During the Victorian era it was a country retreat where many a Montrealer either traveled to the town by horse and buggy or by the Grand Trunk Railway. They were able to escape noise and dust of Montreal.

Lachine is strategically located on Lac St. Louis and as a result of its location visitors were able to enjoy the unpolluted water of the Lake for swimming and fishing. Unfortunately however, this would be impossible today. Nevertheless, today you can enjoy the pedestrian and bicycle paths running along the waterfront and I highly recommend a visit to Lachine.

It is quite interesting to note that during its early commercial years the town’s waterfront was quite active in that many an American tourist would take the boats down the Lachine Rapids. This frightening leisure experience still exists today where it is possible to take a breathtaking ride through the only rapids on the St. Lawrence River.

The history of the city dates back to the mid-17^th century when Montreal, which was then known as Ville Marie, was the focal center of the fur trade with France. The first buildings were constructed around 1667 after the arrival of Robert Cavelier de LaSalle. This French famous fur trader and explorer was granted land by the King of France just about where we find present day Lachine.

When LaSalle landed here he was determined to discover a route across North America to the riches of Asia. Eventually he abandoned this idea and the lands were transferred to the Sulpicians and the local settlers. The name Lachine seems to have found its birth in the ridicule LaSalle endured when his acquaintances and some of his friends called his properties La Chine (China).

Before industrialization the city of Lachine was primarily considered a country resort area for Montreal’s affluent. You might say that it offered the comforts of a lake, sea or river as well as being an unspoiled quaint village. Its location on Lac St. Louis was one of its pivotal attractions as it was able to offer its visitors beautiful views as well as swimming and fishing. This was not to last and after the British conquest of Quebec in 1760 many businesses began to grow in and around Lachine.

The first of these industries was a brewery called the Dawes Brewery, named after its founder Thomas A. Dawes, and which was located along the shores of Lac St. Louis. However the most important influence on the city was the construction of the Lachine Canal which was inaugurated in 1824 and opened to navigation in 1825.

It is to be noted that when the canal was first built it had offered excellent facilities for shipping as it was able to bypass the rapids. It also guaranteed control over the trade of the Great Lakes as it directed the commercial traffic towards Montreal and the St. Lawrence River.

The canal also provided a network that was able to link Montreal to the Atlantic Ocean and to the heart of the continent. As a result of this network Montreal was able to become Canada’s manufacturing capital. Twice after its initial opening the canal had been enlarged which contributed to a very great extent to the development of Montreal as a major North American port.

Today the Lachine Canal is considered a National Historic Site as well as a National Park. The path and park which border the canal are open daily from sunrise to midnight and the upkeep of the park is maintained from April 15^th to October 31^st. There is no charge to enjoy the Park.

Furthermore the Monk Pavilion Interpretation Centre presents, from the 22^nd of May to the 4^th of September, an exhibition of the Canal’s history. The Monk Pavilion is located in the City of Lachine on St Joseph Boulevard at the corner of 7^th Avenue.

You may also wish to visit the Musée de la Ville de Lachine where you will find all kinds of interesting topices on display.

For those of you who are archeological enthusiasts there has been a team of archeologists since August of this year exploring and digging in the area. If any of you readers are interested in the dig you may want to contact the City of Montreal or Francois Veroneau, the archeologist who is in charge of the operation.

I invite anyone out in cyberland to make any comments you may have pertaining to the Lachine Canal.

The above article was originally published at Suite101.com.

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