The Richelieu at the centre of America!

Travel through time! Follow the path taken by the continent's first inhabitants. Discover one of the country's great commercial routes and the impressive military installations built along its length.

Linking the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain, the Richelieu River lies at the heart of one of the most strategic river networks in North America. A crucial waterway running between Montreal and New York, the Richelieu was central to the colony's economic development and, until the advent of the railway, the route by which riches from the heart of the continent were conveyed to the Atlantic coast.

The Richelieu River not only opened up new land for settlement under the French colonial administration, it also became a main path of invasion by the British, who then converted it into a trade corridor. The river subsequently played a pivotal role in the industrialization of Canada.

Birchbark canoes, warships and commercial steamboats have now given way to pleasure boaters and other water enthusiasts. Today's voyageurs have a unique opportunity to travel down a magnificent far-flung waterway, a veritable heritage corridor running from Sorel to New York.

National Historic Sites along the Richelieu

An Amazing History!
Four important National Historic Sites of Canada are presented along the Richelieu River between Saint-Ours to the north and Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix to the south. Travelling down these 110 kilometres means reliving key episodes of our history. On this voyage, nature and culture flow together!

It doesn't matter where you start your trip: pick anywhere you like along the north-south route.

The Saint-Ours Canal
Fort Chambly
Chambly Canal
Fort Lennox
Biking

The Saint-Ours Canal
Navigating along the Richelieu has always been quite a challenge. It used to be that at Saint-Ours the water was so shallow that even small boats could barely pass through. During the 19th century, as commerce and trade intensified, a dam and lock were constructed to enable larger vessels to sail through unimpeded. Built in 1849, the Saint-Ours Canal made the Richelieu navigable up to Chambly and linked Montreal to New York.

For nearly a century, the canal made an important contribution to Canada's economic development. In the 20th century, commercial vessels became steadily scarcer due to the growing competition from railways and trucks. Even so, a new lock was constructed in 1933 and the original wood dam was replaced in 1969 by a more modern structure designed to regulate the flow of the Richelieu River. Despite the scale of these works, commercial navigation was gradually supplanted by pleasure boating.

Since 2001, an impressive fish ladder, the only one of its kind, allows fish to swim upstream, make their way past the Saint-Ours dam and reach their spawning grounds. So doing, this facility plays a significant role in maintaining biodiversity.

Activities
At the superintendent's house, you can follow the progress of canalization along the Richelieu step by step. Guided tours are available by reservation. On Davard Island, you can stroll along the pathways, read the interpretation panels, observe many bird species, watch boat manoeuvres at the lock, or have a picnic.

In the Area
Twenty kilometres north of the canal, you can stroll through Old Sorel or explore the Sorel Islands by boat. At Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, approximately 10 kilometres south of the canal, along the picturesque Chemin des Patriotes, stop in for an enjoyable visit at the Maison nationale des Patriotes, a centre commemorating the 1837-1838 rebellion in Lower Canada.

Contact Information
To reach the Saint-Ours Canal from Montreal, take "Autoroute" 30 east for 70 kilometres. If you are arriving from Sorel, take route 133 for 20 kilometres.
Tel.: (450) 447-4888; Fax: (450) 658-2428
Website: www.pc.gc.ca/canalstours/
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Fort Chambly
Fifty-two kilometres south of Saint-Ours, at the foot of the Richelieu rapids, stands impressive Fort Chambly, constructed at the turn of the 18th century. The present-day fort is the fourth to have been raised on this site. The first, wooden structure was built during the wars between the French and the Iroquois that marked the second half of the 17th century in New France. Subsequent battles between the French and the English led to the construction of a stone fort in 1711.

The structure was to become the single largest fortification along the Hudson-Lake Champlain-Richelieu corridor. French troops erected a European-style fort capable of resisting numerically superior forces and a field artillery. Nonetheless, it fell into British hands in 1760 during the Seven Years' War.

In 1775, the Americans invaded Canada and occupied Fort Chambly for several months. In 1812, a new war erupted between Canada and the United States. After hostilities ended in 1814, the British occupied the fort sporadically until abandoning it in 1860. In 1876, all of the military buildings of Chambly were auctioned off except for the fort and the guard house.

Due to the efforts of Joseph-Octave Dion, the remains of the fortress, which had greatly deteriorated, managed to be saved. Parks Canada restored the present-day structure in 1983.

Activities
Visit the fort. Come and see the permanent exhibition relating key moments in the history of New France. Participate in interpretation activities that will enlighten you about military architecture, the life of soldiers and archaeology. Enjoy a picnic in the magnificent park: it's down by the river where fresh breezes will keep you cool. Admire the exceptional views of the river, the basin and Mount Saint-Bruno and Mount Saint-Hilaire. If you like exercise, the Chambly Canal bicycle path is just a few hundred of metres away. All facilities at the Fort Chambly National Historic Site of Canada can be accessed by the mobility-impaired.

In the Area
Take the heritage walking tour of Old Chambly and discover St. Stephen's Church, the J.-O. Dion cemetery and the Manoir Salaberry, all of which date to the 19th century. Make the most of pleasant summer days and follow one of the Au pays de Chambly guides on a tour of this sector.

Contact Information
The fort is located in Chambly, 35 kilometres south of Montreal via "Autoroute" 30, exit 115, or via "Autoroute" 10, exit 22. Tel.: (450) 658-1585; Fax: (450) 658-7216 Website: www.pc.gc.ca/fortchambly/
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Chambly Canal
A few hundred metres from Fort Chambly is the Chambly Canal. Construction on it began in 1831 but work was interrupted by financial problems, a cholera epidemic and the Patriotes' rebellion, thus delaying inauguration of the canal until 1843.

The some 20-kilometre-long canal has nine locks and several swing, slide and lift bridges. The locks allow boats to bypass the rapids and to negotiate a major drop in elevation between the Chambly basin and the Upper Richelieu. In a feature encountered nowhere else in Quebec, eight of the nine locks and three of the bridges are still operated manually. The lockmasters and bridge operators do their work the old-fashioned way, much to the delight of onlookers, obviously.

The Chambly Canal played a vital role in the export of Canadian forest products to the United States. For close to a century, many heavily-laden barges made their way down its waters.

This former transportation corridor has today become a place where pleasure-boaters and tourists come for fun and relaxation.

Activities
Watch boats make their way past a series of sills, locks and bridges. Rent yourself a boat at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and take in the superb river view. The three first stair locks, located in Chambly, are great spots for watching the lockmasters cranking away as their predecessors did. Enter one of their lockhouses near the locks and bridges, and admire their particular architecture. Observe the many bird species. Stroll or bike along the old towing path bordering the river.

In the Area
Visit Fort Chambly-it's just next door. Whether you are a gourmet or you just love eating, be sure to stop in at one of Rougemont's many orchards and cider mills. Why not take a river cruise departing from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu? Many other recreational and cultural attractions are to be had in the area.

Contact Information
Chambly is located 35 kilometres from Montreal via "Autoroute" 10, exit 22. Tel.: (450) 447-4888; Fax: (450) 658-2428
Website: www.pc.gc.ca/canalchambly/
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Fort Lennox
Twenty kilometres south of the Chambly Canal lies Île aux Noix, squarely in the middle of the Richelieu River. It is a real treasure island for people who love history and recreation! Accessible only by ferry, the island is the site of one of the most authentic British fortifications in North America.

Well before the arrival of the Europeans, Île aux Noix was used as a stopover location by Aboriginal peoples during their hunting and fishing expeditions. Once colonization was underway, especially during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the navigable route linking Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River was the theatre of numerous clashes between the French and the British. The island thus held a highly strategic position. In 1760, the British won a decisive victory. The American revolutionaries, in turn, occupied the site in the course of their attempted invasion of Canada in 1775. Many of them died from sickness and were buried on the island before the troops retreated the following year. During the War of 1812, the British established a base and shipyard on the island.

Present-day Fort Lennox consists of defensive earthworks and a number of exceptional beautiful cut stone buildings. It was built between 1819 and 1829 in order to protect the colony from the threat of an American invasion via the Richelieu River. The fort served as a base for British soldiers during the Patriotes' rebellion in Lower Canada, 1837-1838. Starting in 1858, it housed the first reform institution for young offenders. Recognized as a national historic site in 1920, it was used during the World War II as an internment camp for Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria. Since 1970, the Canadian government has carried out major restoration and conservation projects on the site.

Activities
Accompanied by seasoned guides, explore the fort, including the barracks, powder magazine, guard house and prison. Discover the fascinating world in which soldiers and their families lived in earlier times. Visit two exhibitions on military engineering and British officers of the 19th century. Participate in outdoor games. Take the time to enjoy a bite in the sprawling picnic area. Wheel down the bike path running nearby the site. Many special activities await you on site!

In the Area
A few kilometres south of Fort Lennox, discover the Lacolle River Blockhouse. Farm tourism businesses flourish in the region. Depending on your taste, visit vineyards, orchards and places where cheese and chocolate are made or where you can pick your own berries. Take a river cruise starting from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Contact Information
Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix is located 55 kilometres from Montreal, via "Autoroute" 15 or route 223. Tel.: (450) 291-5700; Fax: (450) 291-4389
Website: www.pc.gc.ca/fortlennox/
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Let's Bike It!
Much of the Richelieu River heritage corridor is accessible by bicycle. What better way to get some exercise than while admiring the magnificent landscape and reconnecting with the Richelieu region's captivating history! There are 75 kilometres of bicycle paths between Montreal, Chambly and the United States.

The Chambly Canal bicycle path runs along the old towing path for almost 20 kilometres, thus giving cyclists and pedestrians a unique vantage point from which to view the local scenery. The path is part of the "Route Verte" and links up the Montérégiade II, the Vallée-des-Forts and the Montée du Fort Chambly.
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