Acknowledgements
The history of the Rideau Canal is just a hobby for me, and as such, I could not have done this work without the co-operation and assistance of others. The Rideau Canal Office of Parks Canada has been very helpful; of particular note are Mary Ann Ovington and Simon Lunn, who have provided answers to (almost) all my queries. The Rideau Canal Office has also kindly made available to me Parks Canada Manuscript Reports that have proved invaluable in the compilation of this history of the Rideau lockstations.
Of the historians and researchers who laid the groundwork for this document, those that I borrowed most heavily from include works by Parks Canada researchers Robert W. Passfield, Judith Tulloch, and Karen Price, and noted Rideau historian, Robert F. Legget. The works by these and many other excellent researchers are listed in the bibliography.
The source document I am most indebted to is "Building the Rideau Canal: A Pictorial History," by Robert W. Passfield. Published in 1982, this excellent book has been out of print for a number of years. It might be found in your local library, and at the time of this writing, used copies could be found on used book sites on the Internet.
The quotes from original reports written by Colonel By and others during the construction of the canal are taken from Parks Canada, Manuscript Report 193 by Karen Price, 1976, except for those by John MacTaggart which were taken from Three Years In Canada, by John MacTaggart, 1829.
And to keep my affecteds properly separated from my effecteds, (and to keep my sentences from starting with a conjunction, and to keep my paragraphs short, and to keep my sentences from running on too long) my wife Pat did her usual thorough job of proofeading and editing this document. (sic)
This book is continually updated as I continue my research into the Rideau Canal (not hugely, mostly tweaks). Another person I'd like to acknowledge is Jonathan Moore, an underwater archaeologist with Parks Canada. In the early 2000s, Jonathan provided me with access to a large database of digital imagery of the early canal which helped immensely with my next book, Engineered Landscapes (and subsequent book The Rideau Route). I've been building on that database ever since, providing me with a large digital resource of primary information about the building of the Rideau canal.
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