If you find this section useful, please consider taking out a membership and/or making a donation to Friends of the Rideau to support our work (we're an all volunteer non-profit organization).
This section of the website is a repository for various Rideau books and reports available in digital format. Of note, not all of these are public domain, please use proper citations in your work if you use information from these documents. Follow the rules of a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license (Attribution, non-commercial, share-alike).
This is a companion page to the Manuscript Report page which is a repository for scanned Parks Canada Manuscript reports.
HISTORY BOOKS
The Rideau Route: Exploring the Pre-Canal Waterway. This 2007 book by Ken W. Watson looks at the pre-canal, what the Rideau route looked like prior to canalization. It also includes transcripts of the early surveys of the route. 146p. See additional details about the book here. Download The Rideau Route (51 Mb PDF)
Engineered Landscapes: The Rideau Canal's Transformation of a Wilderness Waterway. This 2006 book by Ken W. Watson is a research report that looks at the early surveys of the Rideau and contains calculations of the flooding depths of the entire Rideau route. The Rideau Route (see above) is a public friendly re-write of Part I of Engineered Landscapes. This book is really meant for Rideau keeners. 290p. See additional details about the book here. Download Engineered Landscapes (100 Mb PDF)
Watson's Paddling Guide to the Rideau Canal. This book (updated yearly) by Ken W. Watson contains a great deal of historical information about things that can still be seen today as one travels by boat along the Rideau Canal. 192p. Watson's Paddling Guide (18 Mb PDF)
Construction du canal Rideau: Histoire Illustrée. This 1982 book by Robert W. Passfield uses period paintings to describe how the Rideau Canal was constructed. This is the French version of the book. The English version was reprinted by Friends of the Rideau and is still available for sale at The Depot. 184p. Construction du canal Rideau (39 Mb PDF)
The Canals of Canada. This 1978 book by John P. Heisler is No.8 in the Canadian Historic Sites:
Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History. This is a re-write of his 1971 manuscript report (MRS 64). It looks at canal building in Canada from the beginning to later expansion of existing canals, and the significant role played by canals in the development of transportation and communication in Canada. 183p. The Canals of Canada (61 Mb PDF)
Les canaux du Canada. This the French/Français translation of 1978 book by John P. Heisler is No.8 in the Canadian Historic Sites:
Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History. It looks at canal building in Canada from the beginning to later expansion of existing canals, and the significant role played by canals in the development of transportation and communication in Canada. 183p. Les canaux du Canada (63 Mb PDF)
Building the 1810 Old Stone Mill in Delta Ontario. This 2022 book by Ken W. Watson is a bit peripheral to the Rideau, but the mill is located right in the middle of the "Irish Creek Route", a proposal for the Rideau Canal in 1816 (see The Rideau Route for details). A National Historic Site of Canada, it's a spectacular example of an early automatic gristmill. It is open to the public during the tourism season (see www.deltamill.org) 192p. Building the 1810 Old Stone Mill (18 Mb PDF)
MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS
The Rideau Canal: Yesterday and Today. This 1977 report by David Sadler, commonly known as the "Sadler Report", is a lockstation by lockstation look at the Rideau Canal produced for the interpretation department (disbanded by Parks Canada in the 1990s). Although a bit dated, it remains a very useful document since it lists both existing and "missing" structures at each lockstation. 148p. The Rideau Canal: Yesterday and Today (27 Mb PDF)
Stone Masonry at the Rideau Canal System. This is a 1975 memo from D. H. Shields, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa, with an analysis of the types of stone masonry used on some of the locks on the Rideau Canal. 60p. Stone Masonry at the Rideau Canal (6 Mb PDF)
Thomas Burrowes and the Rideau Corridor. This 1982 report by Brian S. Osborne looks at the life of Thomas Burrowes who worked as a surveyor during the building of the canal and as overseer of works for the southern Rideau afterwards. He lived near Kingston Mills in retirement. He was a prolific painter, including many of canal construction, and 115 of his paintings are held by the Archives of Ontario. 128p. Thomas Burrowes and the Rideau (23 Mb PDF)
Defensible Lockmaster's House: Davis Lock, Rideau Canal: A Comparative Structural History. This 1989 report by Margaret Carter looks at the details of the Davis Lockmaster's House, built in 1842. It one of the best preserved examples of a defensible lockmaster's house designed by British Ordnance, other than modern interior alterations done to it by Parks Canada in the 2010s (after this report was written). 327p. Davis Defensible Lockmaster's House (52 Mb PDF)
The Cultural Landscapes of the Rideau Corridor - Phase II Study. This 1998 report by Herb Stovel is a foundational document for our understanding of the Rideau's cultural landscapes. It is still used in land use planning and provides a benchmark to measure future changes to the cultural character of the Rideau Corridor. 398p. Cultural Landscapes of the Rideau (110 Mb PDF)
Rideau Canal Edukit: Heritage Trails Exploring The Rideau Canal. This is the result of a Parks Canada project to produce education resources for the Rideau Canal in late 1990s, this final version was released in 2000. It was never fully implemented and the project was abandoned in the early 2000s. 290p. Rideau Canal Edukit (7 Mb PDF)
Les sentiers du patrimoine à la découverte du canal rideau - trousse éducative. Produit par Parcs Canada à la fin des années 1990, cette version finale a été publiée en 2000. Il n'a jamais été entièrement mis en oeuvre et le projet a été abandonné au début des années 2000. 287p. Trousse éducative du canal Rideau (7 Mb PDF)
HISTORICAL REPORTS
Partial Transcriptions of Rideau Route Surveys by Lt. Gershom French, 1783, Lt. Joshua Jebb, R.E., 1816, and
Samuel Clowes, 1823 and 1824. These are transcriptions done by Ken W. Watson in 2005 when he was writing Engineered Landscapes (see above). These are just the transcriptions with no interpretation. The books Engineered Landscapes and the Rideau Route include these transcriptions with some interpretation (particularly for French's 1783 survey). Transcriptions of Rideau Route Surveys (9 Mb PDF)
Three Years In Canada - Rideau Sections Transcriptions. This is a transcription of the Rideau sections from the 1829 book by John Mactaggart, covering his 1826-1828 experiences in Canada. The entire book is now available on the Internet, but this transcription (done before the book was on the Internet) is much easier to read. Mactaggart worked on the canal under Lt. Col. John By until he was dismissed from duty in 1828 (by Governor Sir James Kempt) - he died in Scotland in 1830. Three Years in Canada - Rideau Sections (0.3 Mb PDF)
Rideau Canal Act, 1827. This is the 1827 legislation that provided the legal means for Lt. Colonel John By to acquire land for canal building purposes by appropriation (not expropriation as some mistakenly call it). Cash settlement for any land that By couldn't reach an agreement with the owner on was to be settled by arbitration after the canal was completed. As noted in the intro to the Treasury Minute (see below), land aquistions costs were a significant portion of the overall cost of building the Rideau Canal Rideau Canal Act, 1827 (3 Mb PDF)
British Treasury Minute - May 25, 1832. This is the British Treasury Minute recommending that Lt. Col. John By be relieved of duty and be recalled to England to stand before a parliamentary committee. It also includes Colonel By's December 31, 1831 costs and his estimates of the final cost of completion of the canal. The story of By's recall and the reasons for that are detailed in the Tale of the Rideau, Bye By. British Treasury Minute (5 Mb PDF)
Narrative of a Voyage - Montreal-Ottawa-Rideau-Toronto. This 1834 document is a first hand narrative by James Marr Brydone, a Scottish surgeon with the Royal Navy. He retired from the navy in 1834 and helped with immigration, making several trips. This is a narrative of his first trip. The Rideau Canal was the preferred travel route for immigrants and he contrast this with the St. Lawrence Route. Narrative of an 1834 Voyage (3 Mb PDF)
Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers - Vol. I. (Second Edition). This 1844 report includes an account of the building of the canal and description of the works by Lt. Edward Frome, R.E., who worked on the canal under Lt. Colonel John By. Originally published in 1837 (date of original Vol.1) Lt. Frome's Account of the Rideau (7 Mb PDF)
Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers - Vol. II. This 1838 report includes an account of the building of Rideau Dams by Lt. William Denison, R.E., who worked on the canal under Lt. Colonel John By. Lt. Denison Rideau Dams (9 Mb PDF)
Papers on Subjects Connected with the Duties of the Corps of Royal Engineers - Vol. III. This 1839 report includes an account of the Rideau Canal and also an account of how they bridged the Ottawa River by Lt. William Denison, R.E., who worked on the canal under Lt. Colonel John By. Lt. Denison Rideau Works & Bridges (9 Mb PDF)
THESES
The Role of the Rideau Waterway, 1826-1856. This 1965 Master of Arts thesis by Bob Sneyd is very insightful look at the early role of the Rideau Canal during its time when it was in British control. This includes its commercial use and its significant role as a travel route for immigrants into Upper Canada prior to the canalization of the St. Lawrence River. The Role of the Rideau Waterway (42 Mb PDF)
Resort Development In The Rideau Lakes Region Of Eastern Ontario. This 1983 Master of Arts thesis by Keith Dewar is a study the historic resort development in the Rideau Lakes (hotels, lodges, etc.) during the period 1826 to 1955. Resort Development In The Rideau Lakes (3 Mb PDF)
Working with Tools. This 1996 Master of Arts thesis by Suzanne Plousos looks at the workers on the Rideau Canal including the tools of the trade. While much is academic social commentary, it also details the various tools used during the building of the canal, including illustrations of those tools. 181p. Working With Tools (8 Mb PDF)
Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction Of Submerged
Landscapes In Colonel By Lake, Ontario. This 2006 Master of Science thesis by Lisa Sonnenburg is an investigation of the underwater topography of Colonel By Lake using bathymetric and side-scan sonar data. The Rideau Canal is a drowned environment, this work reconstructed exactly what the Rideau looked like in this area prior to flooding. 118p. Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction (5 Mb PDF)
Scaling the Local: Canada's Rideau Canal and Shifting World Heritage Norms. This 2015 academic paper shows that it was Friends of the Rideau, under Chair Larry Turner, who, in 1992, were responsible for the Rideau Canal becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site. "What paved the way for the heritage-ization of canals on a global scale was a Canadian NGO - the Rideau Waterway Coordinating also known as the Friends of the Rideau". From www.jstor.org Canada's Rideau Canal (0.7 Mb PDF)
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Sights and Surveys: Two Diarists on the Rideau. This 1979 book by Edwin Welch, published by the Historical Society of Ottawa (Bytown Series No.1) includes transcriptions of 1826 and 1827 surveys done by John Mactaggart and John Burrows (their accounts of those surveys). These are very interesting first hand accounts of the canal surveys as the mammoth Rideau Canal project was being launched. Sights and Surveys (12 Mb PDF)
Snapshots on the Ottawa River and Rideau Lakes. This 1898 publication by the Ottawa River Navigation Company covers both the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal. The Rideau section is fairly brief, but you can see where the beginnings of the wording used in later Rideau Lakes Navigation Company publications. Snapshots Ottawa and Rideau (6 Mb PDF)
The Picturesque Rideau Route. This 1901 publication by the Rideau Lakes Navigation Company (which was formed in late 1899) is a masterpiece of tourism prose. It's a wonderful guide to the Rideau (despite a few historical inaccuracies) in the period. The photos and advertisements are also interesting. The steamer James Swift featured in this publication, burned in 1901 and was subsequently rebuilt and renamed the Rideau King that year. (see Manuscript Report 247 - Commercial Navigation, for details) The Picturesque Rideau Route (4 Mb PDF)
Rest and Sport Among the Rideau Lakes. This 1914 publication by the Rideau Lakes Navigation Company is another interesting look at the Rideau Canal, including the photos and advertisements. This publication features the steamer Rideau Queen (see Manuscript Report 247 - Commercial Navigation, for details) Rest and Sport Among the Rideau Lakes (5 Mb PDF)
Dr. Lake's Chart of The Rideau Lakes Route. This 1920 third edition (1st edition 1907) by Dr. Elmer J. Lake is the first detailed navigation guide to the Rideau Canal. Hand-drawn maps and detailed descriptions cover the route from Kingston to Ottawa. Dr. Lake's Chart of The Rideau (15 Mb PDF)
RIDEAU GEOLOGY
The Rideau Canal is defined by its geology; the topography, the overlying ecology, and how the canal was built; the methodology of its construction and the materials used are all related to the underlying geology of this region. Plus, when you boat the Rideau Canal, you are quite literally boating over a mountain. Note that geology reports and maps for the entire Rideau Canal are available on the Internet - many can be found here: Geoscan
Guide to the Geology and Scenery of the National Capital Area. This 1968 book by D.M. Baird of the Geological Survey of Canada is a look at the geology and landscapes of the Ottawa area. It also includes a simplified geology map of the area. 190p. Geology of the Ottawa Area (34 Mb PDF)
Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 346 - Wesport Map Area. This 1967 report by H.R. Wynne-Edwards is very detailed look at the geology of the central Rideau area. The accompanying map shows the various rock units that underly this area, including the sandstone used to build the locks in this area. 142p. GSC Memoir 346 - Westport Map Area (11 Mb PDF) GSC Map 1182A - the bedrock geology map that accompanies GSC Memoir 346. (8 Mb PDF).
ODM Circular No.12 with map 2054. This 1964 publication (revised 1974) by D.F. Hewitt contains a brief description of the general geology and a consolidated geological map covering the area from Kingston to Smiths Falls. 33p. (note, map 2053, Madoc area, referenced in the circular, has been left out of this PDF) ODM Circular No.12 with map 2054 (10 Mb PDF)
Quaternary Geology of the Merrickville Area. This 1979 report by D.R. Sharpe of the Ontario Geological Survey is a detailed look at the surficial geology of the Merrickville area. The report includes OGS Map 2387 (Quaternary Geology) and OSG Map 2388 ([Glacial] Drift Thickness). Surficial Geology of Merrickville Area (20 Mb PDF)
Underwater and shoreline features of the Rideau Canal: Smiths Falls to Westport. This 2002 publication (GSC Open File 4008) by Kettles, I. M., Douma, M., Lauer, K., Fooks, L. & Hunter, J. A. M., is a large poster showing results of several types of geological and geophysical surveys done on Upper, Big and Lower Rideau Lakes. Geology Upper, Big & Lower Rideau lakes (16 Mb PDF)
Surficial Geology Map of the Central Rideau. This 1992 map (GSC Map 1801A), the surficial geology of the Westport 1:50,000 map sheet, shows the various types of surface cover, including glacial and lake sediments. If you're wondering why there are offshore lake sediments near the top of Rock Dunder, see Geology of the Rideau Region on rideau-info.com. Surficial Geology of the Central Rideau (10 Mb PDF)
MINING on the RIDEAU CANAL
Mining on the Rideau Canal is an historical industrial activity, mainly from the mid 19th into the early 20th centuries. You can still see old workings today; iron mines near Newboro (started in 1850), phosphate mines in several areas (i.e. Opinicon Lake) and later mica mines in several spots as well as a few graphite mines. You can visit an old mica mine today in Murphy's Point Provincial Park on Big Rideau Lake.
An interesting sidenote is that the reports on phospate and mica are by the same author whose name was "de Schmid" prior to WWI, changed to "Spence" during or after the war.
MICA, It's Occurrence, Exploitation and Uses. This 1912 report by Hugh S. de Schmid is a detailed look at Mica mining in Canada. Mica mining peaked in about 1907 and was pretty much done by the 1920s (not economic). This report also contains township maps showing where the mines were located. 431p. Mica Mining (30 Mb PDF)
Phosphate in Canada. This 1920 report by Hugh S. Spence is a look at the mining of apatite for its phosphate content. Phosphate is used as a fertilizer. Phosphate mining peaked between 1883 and 1891. These little hard rock mines became uneconomic after large near surface phosphate deposits were found elsewhere. This report also contains township maps showing where the mines were located. 190p. Phosphate in Canada (15 Mb PDF)
Mica Mining at the Village of Lake Opinicon. This 2025 report by Frank Phelan looks at the Smith and Lacey mines located near the former Village of Lake Opinicon (note that the name of the lake, "Opinicon Lake", is sometimes confused with the name of village). Several mica, phosphate and an iron mine are located on property owned by Queen's University. Frank, the former (retired) manager of the Queen's Biology Station on Opinicon Lake, has been researching these old mines. 15p. Mica Mining at the Village of Lake Opinicon (5 Mb PDF)