A week or so ago, Terry and I drove about an hour south to Merrickville - for their annual Rideau Canal Fest Celebrations...
There were musicians in the park...
Craft displays...
And black smith demonstrations ...
(And this year the blacksmith was a woman!)
The opening of the locks was again the most fascinating part of the day - as we watched this 178-year-old engineering feat in action ...
The locks are opened and closed (by hand)...
Water moves up or down inside a water-tight compartment...
The locks are slowly opened...
The boats sail through...
The road swivels around when this lock opens!
All traffic has to stop...
We joined a crowd that hurried across the street...
...to watch those same boats go through the next lock and continue down the river towards Ottawa...
How did those early canal builders do it... before steam shovels and motorized equipment?! They built this whole 202 km (125.5 mile) long canal - with its 47 locks... by hand!! (And it's still in use today!)
I can only conclude that we seriously underestimate the wisdom and knowledge of previous generations!
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