SWING DOWN TO THE CANAL TO SEE HISTORY IN ACTION!
Emergency Swing Dam Being Swung into Winter Position
Sault Ste. Marie, Swing Dam at Soo Canal Historic Site. Photo courtesy Parks Canada
SAULT STE. MARIE, ON– Everyone is invited to the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site on October 20, 2011 at 12 noon to watch as the site’s largest artifact is swung into its winter position. During the swing, Parks Canada staff will describe the construction, function and historical use of the one-of-a-kind emergency swing dam, and how it saved the day in 1909. The rain date for the swing is October 25, 2011.
Parka, Parks Canada’s new beaver mascot will be on hand to witness the event! Visit the Visitor Centre in the Administration Building after the swing to learn more about the history of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. The Visitor Centre is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the fall and winter. For more information on the Sault Ste. Marie Canal, please visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/sault.
The 115-year-old emergency swing dam is the only remaining example of its type in the world and therefore one of the main reasons the Sault Ste. Marie Canal was declared a national historic site in 1987. The dam is swung twice each year as part of its maintenance schedule, ensuring that moving parts continue to operate.
The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada is one of 167 national historic sites operated by Parks Canada to protect and present significant examples of our nation’s heritage. Completed in 1895, the Sault Ste. Marie Canal was the longest lock in the world when it opened and the first to be electrically operated. The construction of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal marked the completion of an all-Canadian waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Superior. Parks Canada proudly protects and presents this national treasure as an important part of Canada’s heritage.
Parks Canada is 100 years old – come celebrate! Established in 1911 as the Dominion Parks Branch, Parks Canada is the world’s oldest national parks service, and a world leader in protecting and presenting treasured national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas.
