Fall Swing
©Parks Canada
SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – Yesterday, November24th, approximately 50 people assembled at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site to see history in motion as the site’s largest artefact was swung into its winter position. During the swing, heritage interpreters explained the process and shared details of how the Emergency Swing Dam had saved the day in 1909. Afterwards, everone enjoyed hot chocolate and watched a movie about the site in the Superintendent’s Residence. Nancy Saunders, Public Relations & Communications Officer for the Northern Ontario Field Unit of Parks Canada was pleased with how everything had unfolded “It was a very successful event” said Saunders.
The 114-year-old Emergency Swing Dam is an engineering marvel and the only remaining such structure in the world. Of the nine emergency swing dams constructed worldwide, Sault Ste. Marie’s is the only one to be used in an emergency and that is one of the main reasons the Sault Ste. Marie Canal was declared a national historic site. 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
