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WHAT'S NEW on the Rideau Web Site
May 2013
- On May 14, 2013, the government announced that it will continue the freeze on lockage fees for the next three years. This does not include mooring fees which will be increasing this year once the proposed increases are approved by the government.
April 2013
- As part of my website revisions, I've re-written the Geology Section, combining and updating two versions of the Geology of the Rideau Canal that I previously had on the site. See the Geology of the Rideau Canal.
- Also as part of my website revisions I've expanded and amalgamated information in the Ecology section. See the Ecology of the Rideau Canal.
March 2013
- I am updating my Rideau Canal website with a new look and a new navigation system that should make it easier to find what you're looking for. So bear with me through the transition - you'll find updated pages mixed with pages yet to be updated.
I started this website in 1996 when the version of HTML (the language of the web) was 2.0. Although I've added tons of new content over the years, I've only done one major renovation to the website (back in about 2004). The current version of HTML is now 5 and different types of devices such as smartphones are now commonly being used to browse the web. So the site is being updated with some new code and a more consistent design.
I intended to do a full re-design of the site (a task that would take months), but Save Our Rideau has sidetracked my regular Rideau "work." So, to speed the process up, I'm simply shoehorning all my existing content into the updated pages. This process should only take a few weeks (yes - I am an optimist :-)
February 2013
January 2013
- Parks Canada is proposing a new fee structure for the Rideau Canal with fee increases of up to 400% compared to current rates. You can see all the details on the Proposed New Fee Structure Page in the Save Our Rideau section of this website.
- Added a new article: James Sutton Elliott by Ed Bebee. Elliott was one of the most strong-willed and powerful men among the competing forces driving the development of Bytown and the Rideau Canal. His careers in both Canada and England show remarkable parallels with different endings. See the Articles Page.
December 2012
- Added the 2013 season and hours of operation to the fees and schedules page
- On December 1, 2012 it was announced that the new Director for Ontario Waterways will be Ms. Jewel Cunningham who will assume the post on December 3, 2012. From the media release "Jewel brings to this position 15 years of experience with Parks Canada, including a very strong background in marketing, communications and management of national historic sites. Her most recent position with Parks Canada was that of Superintendent for Prince Edward Island National Park." Ms. Cunningham may be reached at
Jewel.Cunningham@pc.gc.ca.
October/November 2012
September 2012
August 2012
- Continuing to work on issue of the dramatic cuts to the Rideau Canal by the Government of Canada and Parks Canada - see the What's New page on the Save Our Rideau website.
- Did some tweaks and updates to my Paddling Guide to the Rideau Canal. See the Rideau Paddling Guides page.
July 2012
 For the past few years I've been extremely worried about the erosion of heritage on the Rideau Canal. This erosion started with Parks Canada, the agency charged with the care and control of this magnificent heritage site and now extends to the Government of Canada who have cut funding to the canal. For the many details about what has been and is currently happening, see my Save Our Rideau website
June 2012
- nothing major - just minor tweaks here and there. Working on another little project (see Save Our Rideau)
May 2012
- It's finished! Watson's Paddling Guide to the Rideau Canal, my new paddling guide to the Rideau Canal, is available as a free PDF download. This 164 page book is the most comprehensive resource you can get for paddling the Rideau canal. See the Paddling the Rideau Canal section of this website.
April 2012
- no large additions to the website - working on digitizing a Parks Canada report (Architectural Heritage of the Rideau Corridor) and creating a new Paddling Guide for the Rideau Canal designed for the transit paddler.
March 2012
- I'm starting work on compiling my 18 Paddling Guides into a single guide (for those who wish to paddle the entire Rideau). As part of that, I've compiled a listing of distances between lockstations. You'll find that on the Distances between Lockstations Page. Note that the Statistics page still contains detailed distances between everything.
- Added a photo tour video of the Ottawa Lockstation. This completes (yeah!!) a south to north series featuring every lockstation on the Rideau Canal. You can see these videos by going to the Video Page.
February 2012
- Added 4 photo tour videos covering the area from Clowes Lockstation to the Ottawa Locks (Clowes, Nicholsons, Burritts Rapids, Long Island, Black Rapids, Hogs Back and Harwells). You can see these videos by going to the Video Page.
- Added a new article: The Military Roots of the Rideau Canal. This year (2012) marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 - a war between the U.S. and Canada. The building of the Rideau Canal is a direct result of that war. For the details on why the Rideau Canal was built and the elements of its military heritage that can be seen today, see the Articles Page.
January 2012
- Added 6 photo tour videos covering the area from Newboro Lockstation to Clowes (Newboro, Narrows, Beveridges (Tay Canal), Poonamalie, Smiths Falls Detached, Smiths Falls Combined, Old Slys, Edmunds, Kilmarnock and Merrickville). You can see these videos by going to the Video Page.
December 2011
- Added 5 photo tour videos covering the area from Lower Brewers Lockstation to Newboro (Lower Brewers, Upper Brewers, Jones Falls, Davis, and Chaffeys). You can see these videos by going to the Video Page.
November 2011
- I've started a series of Photo Tour Videos that will provide a short photo presentation, in video format, of each lockstation and the waters between it and the next lockstation, including some of the local wildlife. I've started at the southern end of the Rideau and will be working my way north, hopefully arriving in Ottawa by the spring of 2012. You can see these videos by going to the Video Page.
- Added the 2012 fees (unchanged from 2011) and 2012 hours of operation to the fees and schedules page
- Not new on the Rideau website, but I've created (on a volunteer basis) a new website for the Perth Historical Society. That's occupied much of my time over the last few weeks. You can see it at: www.perthhs.org
October 2011
- Added a new article: Water Water Everywhere. Three apparently unrelated events on the Rideau: whale bones near Smiths Falls, paddling a canoe in 1816 between Jones Falls and Upper Brewers and lake bottom sediments near the top of Rock Dunder, have a common link. See the Articles Page.
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
- Just minor site updates (working on other websites)
June 2011
- Just minor site updates (working on other websites)
May 2011
- Added a new article: Mountain Climbing - By Boat. There are few places in Canada where it can be said "I boated over a mountain." Well, if you’ve boated the Rideau from Kingston to Smiths Falls, you can boast to all your friends that you did, truly, boat over a mountain. "What mountain?" you ask - read the article to find out. See the Articles Page.
- Added a new article: The Rideau Canals that Never Were about some of the about other canal/route proposals. Two ficticious canals/routes (the Dead Lock and the Murphys Bay Route) are examined in detail. See the Articles Page.
April 2011
- Just minor site updates (working on digitizing Rideau Canal Manuscript Reports)
March 2011
- Just minor site updates (working on a repring of "A History of the Rideau Lockstations")
February 2011
- Just minor site updates (working on digitizing Rideau Canal Manuscript Reports)
January 2011
- Just minor site updates (working on digitizing Rideau Canal Manuscript Reports)
December 2010
- Various updates (added 2011 lock operating schedule & fees, updated Watson's Guide to 2011, etc.).
November 2010
- The NEW updated v.2 of my paddling guides to the Rideau have been posted. Improved maps, expanded content, 50% more Points of Interest, all for the same low-low price (free). See the Paddling Section.
October 2010
- I'm working on a major expansion of the "Points of Interest" section in my new paddling guides. Stay tuned for the release of v.2 of these guides, hopefully sometime in early November.
- I've added a couple of new photos following the theme of "2010 - the year of the Mills" in the Rideau region. These two photos show the newly restored exterior of the old Chaffeys Mill - now being converted into a B&B. See: The "New" Chaffeys Mill 1 and The "New" Chaffeys Mill 2.
September 2010
- THEY'RE DONE!! I've completed detailed paddling guides for the entire Rideau Canal - 18 guides in all. The last five guides were posted this month: Guide 1: Kingston to Colonel By Lake - Guide 15: Baxter Conservation Area to Kars N. - Guide 16: Kars N. to the Jock River - Guide 17: Jock River to Hogs Back - and Guide 18: Hogs Back to Ottawa. See the Paddling Section.
August 2010
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 I've added a new page called Fauna of the Rideau in the ecology section of this website. It provides a brief listing and photos of the typical wildlife that you might expect to see along the Rideau. See the Fauna of the Rideau Page.
- I'm continuing to create and add new paddling guides, four more this month: Guide 8: Narrows Lock to Tar Island (Big Rideau Lake); Guide 9: Tar Island to Rideau Ferry (Big Rideau Lake); Guide 13: Merrickville Locks to The Catchall (Rideau River); and Guide 14: The Catchall to Baxter Conservation Area (Rideau River). See the Paddling Section.
July 2010
- I've added two more paddling guides, one for the section from Kingston Mills to River Styx (Colonel By Lake and River Styx) and one for the area from Rideau Ferry to Edmunds Lock (Lower Rideau Lake & Rideau River). See the Paddling Section.
June 2010
- IT'S HERE!! My new book, Tales of the Rideau, is now available. I'll be getting it out to bookstores and other distribution points along the Rideau Corridor in the next couple of weeks. For more information about the book and how to get it see the Tales of the Rideau Book Page.
- I've added more paddling guides including one from Lower Brewers to Brass Point Bridge (Cataraqui River, Cranberry Lake and Dog Lake), one from Brass Point Bridge to Jones Falls (Cranberry Lake, Little Cranberry Lake, Whitefish Lake and Morton Bay), one from Newboro to Narrows (Upper Rideau Lake) and one for the Tay Canal. See the Paddling Section.
May 2010
- I've added another paddling guide, this one for the area from Edmunds Lock to the Merrickville Locks along the Rideau River. See the Paddling Section.
- I've added another paddling guide, this one for the area from Chaffeys Lock to Newboro Lock which includes Indian, Clear, Newboro, Benson, Mosquito and Loon lakes. See the Paddling Section.
- New Paddling Guides - while I wait for the arrival of my new book, I've been using my "free time" to create some new paddling guides. These will be a general guide with a detailed 1:50,000 map for various sections of the Rideau Canal. The first one, a guide to paddling Sand and Opinicon lakes, has just been posted to the Paddling Section of this website.
- IT'S DONE!! - a new book I've been working on, "Tales of the Rideau" has been completed. I've sent the files off the printer and once I approve the proof and the toss them a barrel full of money, I should have the book in hand, available for sale, hopefully by mid-June. I'll post more details once I actually have the printed book in hand.
April 2010
March 2010
- I've added a new article to the Articles Page, this one titled "Death - A Rideau Mythconception". The building of the Rideau Canal was difficult and it took a human toll. But the number of deaths and how death was treated has been greatly exaggerated. We now have mythconceptions that workers were buried without ceremony (not true, funerals were held), in unmarked graves (not true, they were marked with wooden markers), and that dangerous working conditions led to many work accident deaths (not true, far fewer deaths than supposed and inquests were held for all of these). This article deals with these myths and misconceptions that have grown over the years. See the Articles Page.
February 2010
- No major updates since I'm spending most of my "free" time working on a new book about the Rideau. But, be assured, general updates are being done on a regular basis (i.e. I added the walking tour of Kingston Mills to the documents page, updated the maps page, updated coming events, etc. etc.).
January 2010
Comments: send me email: Ken Watson
©1996-2013 Ken W. Watson
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