Editing Upper Canada (section)

====Rideau Canal====

The Rideau Canal's purpose was military and hence was paid for by the British and not the local treasury. It was intended to provide a secure supply and communications route between Montreal and the British naval base in Kingston. The objective was to bypass the [[St. Lawrence River]] bordering New York; a route which would have left British supply ships vulnerable to an attack. Westward from Montreal, travel would proceed along the [[Ottawa River]] to [[Bytown]] (now [[Ottawa]]), then southwest via the canal to Kingston and out into Lake Ontario. Because the Rideau Canal was easier to navigate than the St. Lawrence River due to the series of rapids between Montreal and Kingston, it became a busy commercial artery from Montreal to the Great Lakes. The construction of the canal was supervised by Lieutenant-Colonel [[John By]] of the [[Royal Engineers]]. The work started in 1826, and was completed 6 years later in 1832 at a cost of £822,000.