Cruising the Canals_October 18th, 2019

MBC Minute Book October 2019

 

On a brisk October day, G. T. Bishop and A. T. Lane met up on the Candiac EXO train to be transported over the St. Lawrence Seaway to their starting point at Ste. Catherine. The goal was to follow the South Shore Canal portion of the Seaway on the dyke from the 'Cote' to St. Lambert and then continue on to Longueuil on the Riverside path, then backtracking to the Jacques Cartier bridge, Ile Ste. Helene and over to the start of the Lachine Canal. The nautical goal was to take in as much of the history of the canals around Montreal as the route would allow.

Reference Materials

The extensive number of bike paths around Ste Catherine and the wonderful natural scenery of the Recreoparc was nowhere in evidence back when the 'modern' Seaway was completed in 1959.

Cote Ste Catherine Lock looking east_1960's

The single digit temperatures were a reminder that, within a couple of months, the canal waters would be freezing over and ships would be racing to exit the last lock before Seaway closing. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/frozen-locks-halt-six-ships-near-kahnawake-1.4469063 The equipment used has been updated but the methods used by the Coast Guard are pretty much the same as sixty years ago.

CCGS Ernest Lapointe below the Cote lock_1960's
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCGS_Ernest_Lapointe

Ice Escort South Shore Canal_2015

Though some modern technology has required new methods.

CG Hovercraft on buoytending mission to decommission summer buoys

On this day, there was nary a ship (nor other cyclists) to be seen between the 'Cote' and St. Lambert locks but there was still evidence of much construction activity at the new Champlain bridge.

The construction harkens back to the massive construction project that created the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 1950's.

St. Lambert Lock_June 1956

St. Lambert Lock_July 1956

St. Lambert Lock nearing completion_looking south

St. Lambert Lock completed_pre-Expo 67_looking north

Crossing at St. Lambert and continuing along the Riverside path, the members finally encountered a vessel proceeding slowly upbound towards the lock.

Well, it was actually two vessels because it was a tug/barge combination known as an ATB (Articulated Tug Barge) because the tug is locked into a notch in the stern of the barge, usually by large hydraulic pins. http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/JohnJCarrick.htm This vessel will be travelling for another two days to reach its homeport of Toronto.

For the members, the journey continued along the river to find a spot to cross the highway and to find a spot for lunch. Fortunately, both were not too distant.

After a well-deserved fueling stop, the members continued their route towards the Jacques Cartier bridge.

The wind that had pushed them along the dyke was now trying to push them over as they mounted the bridge but they managed to get safely to Ile Ste. Helene and then on to the Concorde bridge, passing a remnant of Expo 67 along the way.

Alexander Calder's Trois Disques

They also passed an exhibit that seemed to be competing with the Jardins en Lumieres at the Botanical Gardens.

https://www.feuxfollets.ca/en/

Then it was across the Concorde bridge, past Habitat 67 and to the start of the Lachine Canal.

Lachine Canal Improvements_1877_http://stlawrencepiks.com/seawayhistory/beforeseaway/lachine/

The builders of the improvements to the Lachine Canal would probably never have imagined in their time when the original Montreal Bicycle Club was about to come into existence, that ships would no longer ply the waters of the canal a hundred years later but bicycles would speed along its banks!

Proceeding along the canal path, except where a detour was required due to, sigh, construction, the members decided to put an early end to the ride, now that they were riding against the wind, at the Atwater Market. A. T. Lane headed for a hot cup of Java and G. T. Bishop headed home (via the new bike lane on rue Guy) for a nap in a warm bed.

The Fixture ride from Ste Catherine to the Atwater Market covered 50 kilometers.

Postscript

Not mentioned in the minutes was the encounter that G. T. Bishop had on his way to the EXO train. Definitely in the 'Everything old is new again' category and wholly appropriate on a day of a Montreal Bicycle Club Fixture Ride. 

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