Photo: Ice skaters enjoying the Rideau Canada during the winter.
Credits: Parks Canada
The Rideau Canal, a timeless emblem of the National Capital Region, weaves through Ottawa's urban landscape, embodying layers of history, culture, and natural beauty. Designated as a UNESCO world heritage site, a national historic site of Canada, and a Canadian heritage river, the canal holds profound significance for residents and visitors alike.
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is focused on conserving the capital's heritage, including the Rideau Canal as outlined in The Plan for Canada’s Capital. Guided by policies and management plans, Parks Canada ensures the integrity of the Rideau Canal as a national historic site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city of Ottawa's policy framework also supports the identification and protection of cultural heritage landscapes, ensuring development adjacent to the canal respects its heritage values. Together, these three organizations have commissioned Matrix Heritage to undertake a comprehensive cultural landscape study of the Ottawa urban section of the Rideau Canal corridor. This ambitious endeavour aims to create a guiding document that identifies the study area’s heritage values and character-defining elements, while charting a path towards their protection and enrichment.
Spanning approximately 8.5 kilometres from the Ottawa Locks at the Ottawa River to Hog’s Back Locks and Falls, the study area encompasses the canal, its immediate surroundings, and areas of significant influence, including the UNESCO world heritage site buffer zone and the City of Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Special District. This comprehensive scope reflects a commitment to understanding the canal's interconnectedness with its urban context.
The project kickoff occurred in August 2023 with a literature review, mapping discreet landscape zones, and public engagement. The final report is expected to be completed in summer 2024. The goal of the project is to inform long-term plans for each of the organizations.
The Rideau Canal is more than just a waterway; it's a thread that binds past, present, and future. Through this cultural landscape study, we aim to honour the canal’s rich legacy while charting a course for sustainable development.
For inquiries about this project, please contact heritage-patrimoine@ncc-ccn.ca.