Chaffey's Lock on the Rideau Canal

 Chaffey's Lock on the Rideau Canal

At the risk of repetition, we visited another local Lock today - just 20 minutes from where we are staying. 

Chaffey's Lock is a charming area, which is a strong attraction for tourists - either by boat or road. We had visited this spot on our previous sit, here, in the Fall of 2022. The vistas were different than the full experience of an Ontario Fall, but the verdant freshness of late Springtime afforded another perspective. 

Apart from the lock itself, the area is resplendent with lake views and blended buildings surrounding the Opinicon Pub and Restaurant, which started off as a fishing lodge, over 150 years ago. Now used for functions such as weddings, reunions, and other events, it fully earns its reputation as the Beating Heart of Chaffey's Lock. 

The Opinicon Pub and Restaurant

Timing, as we always discover, is of the essence, and this proved true today. We had seen locks functioning before, but we witnessed something new to us in our experience of the workings of a canal. 

We watched the lower lock open, but no boat emerged. We waited and waited, then noticed that the road bridge was beginning to swing around and we guessed that the boat in the chamber itself must have had a tall mast. Finally, we saw it proceed, gliding gracefully through the open doors and passing us by on its way to the next lake beyond. 

Afterwards, we took a leisurely stroll to both ends of the lock and enjoyed the stunning views of the boathouses above the lock, and the view out to the lake from the lock.

We saw this guy with his seadoo

The Lockmaster's House - now a museum

We think this may have been the original mill

Prior to this, upon our arrival, we visited the ice cream shop where we purchased a latte. We took them down by the lakeside to enjoy the peace and quiet of the surrounding scenery and relaxed in the gentle, warm breeze. 

The Ice Cream Store

While getting the coffee, Mark noticed a couple of posters mentioning Jeremy Hansen. (He is the Canadian astronaut who recently circled the moon with three American colleagues). Apparently, he has a cottage in this area and they named an ice cream flavour after him - with a nod to the famous quote from the movie, 'Apollo 13'. (Houston - we have a problem)!

Jeremy Henson - Canadian astronaut who recently circled the moon on Artemis II, in April, 2026.

We were hoping that he might have been visiting the locks, today, but we were unable to manifest that experience!!!

Needless to say, we are thoroughly enjoying this house/pet sit, with so many beautiful places to visit in the vicinity. 

Jones Falls Locks on the Rideau Canal

 Hi Folks!

We're back!

Well, after a break of just under 4 years, I've finally found the inclination to post this update on our blog. 

As many of you know, neither Mark nor I are posting regularly on Facebook - in fact, apart from Christmas, New Years, and Canadian Thanksgiving,  (and wishing people well on their birthdays) we haven't posted anything for over a year. We took ourselves off the platform because of the increasing negativity found there. 

However, I will post this on Social Media - just in case anyone is interested in taking the occasional peek at our adventures. 

We are currently doing a repeat sit in Westport, Southern Ontario. Yesterday, we went into town and saw a tour boat in the dock and got speaking to two of the passengers. They told us that they were on a 5 night tour through the Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston. After an overnight stay in the town, they would be staying at Jones Falls Locks the following day. 

It just so happened that we had planned to go to that place the next day (today), and we were delighted that our timing was (accidentally) spot on as the boat was just reaching the top of the lock system when we arrived. 

It was fascinating watching the crew navigating through the lower triple locks, opening and closing the sluice gates and the main lock gates in turn as the water levels evened off to allow the boat to make its way to the dock where it was going to drop anchor for the night. 

Click the pic below to see video clip

It brought back memories of teaching at Springhill R.C. School in Southampton, UK, when the topic we were covering in Social Studies was 'Water'. Prior to the Internet, there was a BBC computer program called, CANAL LOCKS, where students were challenged to see a boat safely through a set of locks by manipulation the sluice and lock gates in the proper sequence:

• It placed students in the role of a lock-keeper, tasking them with operating water gates and sluices to safely raise and lower boats along a canal.
• It famously taught children responsibility by failing the game with the message: "You did not leave things as you found them!" if they failed to reset the locks properly.

It's not the first time we've seen a boat making its way through a lock system (either on the Rideau Canal, or the Trent/Severn system), but it was great to see this working out through a triple lock system. 

After watching the boat moored at the dock, and having had a conversation with a few of the travelers on the cruise, we made our way, by car, up to the one upper lock to see where the boat had come from. On the way, we passed a large stone dam which, when it "was completed in late 1831, it was the highest dam in North America - a major accomplishment of early 19th century engineering."

View from above the dam

Before returning to the parking lot, we notice a family in a small boat on the upper lake, and saw a small radio-controlled boat zipping around the lake. We got permission to video the model being happily controlled by the young lad on board. I think he deliberately crashed it into the jetty upon which I was standing - maybe to gauge my reaction!

All in all, it was a pleasant afternoon, graced by warm temperatures, a beautiful blue sky punctuated with puffy white clouds, and the synchronicity of being in the right place at the right time. 

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