Soo Locks Under Repair
Photo courtesy Svenja Hansen,Northern Ontario Field Unit, Parcs Canada Partnering & Engagement Officer
The lock was drained in just two days using three 50 hp pumps located in the historic site’s original powerhouse. The bottom of the lock is lined with wooden planking, which needs to be kept moist to prevent cracking and breakage. Visitors are encouraged to participate in daily tours to get a better look at the work being undertaken and find out about the historic machinery still used today to operate the modern lock. For tour information call (705) 941-6205.
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. In 1998, construction of a modern lock was completed inside the historic canal to accommodate recreational boat traffic.
– For the first time in more than a decade, the bottom of the recreational lock at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is visible again. Engineers will be venturing into the bottom of the lock to repair the upstream butterfly valves near the stop logs, fix the sill where the winter gates sit at the downstream end of the lock, and replace the ladders.
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO, August 24, 2010 – After inserting the stop logs in the canal in early July, and lowering the water level to match that of the St. Mary’s River, contractors began work on a temporary coffer dam below the downstream gates. The placement of the 15 steel segments making up this coffer dam took a little longer than expected. Each panel (including braces) weighs 907 kg (2000 lbs) and measures 7.2 metres in length. In the end, contractors had to chink a few gaps between the lock wall and dam with burlap and wooden wedges.
The lock was drained in just two days using three 50 hp pumps located in the historic site’s original powerhouse. The bottom of the lock is lined with wooden planking, which needs to be kept moist to prevent cracking and breakage. Visitors are encouraged to participate in daily tours to get a better look at the work being undertaken and find out about the historic machinery still used today to operate the modern lock. For tour information call (705) 941-6205.
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. In 1998, construction of a modern lock was completed inside the historic canal to accommodate recreational boat traffic.
– For the first time in more than a decade, the bottom of the recreational lock at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is visible again. Engineers will be venturing into the bottom of the lock to repair the upstream butterfly valves near the stop logs, fix the sill where the winter gates sit at the downstream end of the lock, and replace the ladders.
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO, August 24, 2010 – After inserting the stop logs in the canal in early July, and lowering the water level to match that of the St. Mary’s River, contractors began work on a temporary coffer dam below the downstream gates. The placement of the 15 steel segments making up this coffer dam took a little longer than expected. Each panel (including braces) weighs 907 kg (2000 lbs) and measures 7.2 metres in length. In the end, contractors had to chink a few gaps between the lock wall and dam with burlap and wooden wedges.
The lock was drained in just two days using three 50 hp pumps located in the historic site’s original powerhouse. The bottom of the lock is lined with wooden planking, which needs to be kept moist to prevent cracking and breakage. Visitors are encouraged to participate in daily tours to get a better look at the work being undertaken and find out about the historic machinery still used today to operate the modern lock. For tour information call (705) 941-6205.
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. In 1998, construction of a modern lock was completed inside the historic canal to accommodate recreational boat traffic.
– For the first time in more than a decade, the bottom of the recreational lock at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is visible again. Engineers will be venturing into the bottom of the lock to repair the upstream butterfly valves near the stop logs, fix the sill where the winter gates sit at the downstream end of the lock, and replace the ladders.
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO, August 24, 2010 – After inserting the stop logs in the canal in early July, and lowering the water level to match that of the St. Mary’s River, contractors began work on a temporary coffer dam below the downstream gates. The placement of the 15 steel segments making up this coffer dam took a little longer than expected. Each panel (including braces) weighs 907 kg (2000 lbs) and measures 7.2 metres in length. In the end, contractors had to chink a few gaps between the lock wall and dam with burlap and wooden wedges.
