Rapids Point, Ontario
Posted by: 
dutchmaster
N 45° 00.189 W 074° 53.339
18T E 508749 N 4983306
Long Sault Rapids Point, "the place where many a romance began", now just Rapids Point.
Waymark Code: WM8HJ
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 03/07/2006
Views: 101
Standing at the above coordinates prior to 1954 your eyes would have been drawn towards this natural wonder.
Above photo from the late 40s, looking east over the Long Sault Rapids with Barnhart Island top center, tip of Long Sault island on the right.
The view today looking towards Barnhart Island and the north end of the Long Sault Control dam. The tip of Long Sault Island, the one directly across the water from where your standing is submerged.
Although the mighty rapids have been silenced and the waters of Lake St Lawrence are higher, this high spot at the east end of MacDonell Island still offers a view along with a nice drive through the Long Sault PARKWAY.
Many have said that prior to 1958, these rapids on the St Lawrence river were the number one tourist attraction the area and also offered many other sports and activities. The Cornwall Library website has more photos of the RAPIDS
along with some interesting ones taken when they were DRAINED.
Look east (left) along the present day river bank, which was actually the north bank of the Cornwall Canal at this point and prior to 1958 the view would've not only included the rapids but various ships of the time passing 20 metres below where your standing now.
"A" is Shiek's Island, on the Canadian side, "B" is Barnhart Island on the American side along with "C" the tip of Long Sault island. The international boundary is the center of the river at this point
From exactly the same spot but looking to the south, slight to your right and across the main channel, one can see the entrance to the temporary divertion channel cut through Long Sault island. Only after this channel was dredged out could work begin on draining the Long Sault rapids, in order to complete the second half of the Long Sault control dam.
Some passenger ships of the day such as the Rapids Prince would actually run the rapids going downstream, a big selling point as the memorable voyage thrilled many passengers including royalty. Many people visited the "silenced" rapids and marvelled at the huge rocks. One ship's captain upon seeing the dry riverbed, admitted he never would have run the rapids if he had known what lay beneath the waves.
"A" and "B" are roughly points on either side of the "cut" through Long Sault island.
This section of the original King's Highway or Highway #2 is directly opposite the waymark and is the largest remain section of highway between Cornwall and Morrisburg and probably the most photographed. That your hint for logging this waymark.
