Ottawa Locks
1 Canal Lane
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
This is the site where Ottawa begins. It was here in the middle of the wilderness in 1826 that work on the Rideau Canal began. And it was from here that the small community, known as Bytown, that would eventually become the nation's capital, evolved.
Now part of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ottawa Locks site is still one of Ottawa's best-kept secrets – a green oasis in the middle of busy downtown Ottawa.
Ottawa's early history abounds on this site, from the ruins of the Royal Sappers' and Miners' offices to the cobblestones that mark an early blacksmith's shop. On the site, you will also find the Bytown Museum, housed in the Commissariat, Ottawa's oldest stone building, used as a treasury and storehouse during the canal's construction.
Visit the Bytown Museum to learn more about Ottawa's history!
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