Following a chain of rivers and lakes across the heart of Nova Scotia which had been used by the Mi’kmaq people for at least 4,000 years, the 115 kilometre long canal was begun by several hundred laborers and a few dozen Irish stone masons imported for their experience in building British style granite locks. The construction of the canal allowed boats to travel from one side of Nova Scotia to the other without sailing all the way around it, avoiding a dangerous sail around Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia.
By 1831 only 13 of the proposed 17 locks had been constructed and the builder, the Shubenaccadie Canal Company, was out of money. Construction came to a halt but was begun anew in 1853 when a new company, the Inland Navigation Company, was created to finish the project. Changing from the construction of the more expensive British style granite locks to the cheaper American style, the canal was brought into commercial use by 1856. It was then the longest canal in the Maritimes.
It was the completion of the railway which ultimately forced the closure of the canal in 1870, as the railway built fixed bridges over the canal in several places which would not allow for the passage of boats beneath.
The canal is named for the Shubenacadie River, a 72 kilometre river which rises at Shubenacadie Grand Lake and meanders its way north to Cobequid Bay in the Minas Basin, the northern end of the Bay of Fundy.
Today the entire length of the canal may be traversed by canoe or kayak. The canal is now overseen by the
Shubenacadie Canal Commission, created 25 years ago to
oversee and further promote the Shubenacadie Canal System. In the city of Dartmouth is
Shubie Park. where these signs are to be found. The park encompasses locks number two and three, around which is an interpretive trail.
This is the first of a number of informational panels along the trail. It is the first panel one will encounter upon leaving the parking lot and entering the trail beside the canal.
The park is a heavily forested greenway which is bounded by lake Charles to the north and lake MicMac to the south. Part of the historic Shubenacadie Canal passes through the park. The history of the canal plays a huge role in the park, and in the interpretive trails. Along the trails are regularly spaced interpretive panels discussing the importance of each area in the building and functioning of the canal system.
From Shubie Park
Cutting the Canal
You are now standing about one third of the way between Lake Micmac to the South (left) and Lake Charles to the North (right). Before canal construction began in 1826 there was no flow of water between these two lakes. The Mi'kmaq and early settlers wishing to go from one lake to the other had to portage or carry their boats through the 1.5 kilometres of forested area. This man made canal cut with its two locks took three years to construct and was the most difficult obstacle to overcome on the 115 km long waterway which stretched from Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy. As many as 300 laborers worked on this section of the waterway.
Many of them, along with their families, lived nearby and the remains of their tiny dwellings may be seen along the route.
From the plaque by the canal