| Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers arrived in Canada in 1826 and set up his headquarters near the mouth of the Rideau River. This was the origin of the settlement that was known for many years as Bytown and that eventually was renamed Ottawa. The overall design of the canal involved a series of dams and associated locks which would enable boats to travel without impediment from Bytown to Kingston. The original plan called for the construction of locks that could handle small barges. With considerable foresight, Colonel By boldly advocated a system of much larger locks. He finally persuaded his superiors to authorize the construction of locks with a minimum size of 134 feet long and 33 feet wide, large enough to accommodate the new steamboats which were beginning to appear on the Great Lakes. | | |
