Rideau Canal Festival and John By Day Monday, August 3 The building of the Rideau Canal required a yearly work force of up to 7,000. During its 7-year construction as many as 1,000 workers lost their lives due to accidents and disease. Their deaths went largely unrecorded and many lay in unmarked graves along side the canal. These workers, who at first lived in temporary communities such as Ottawa's Corktown, were an important part in building the City of Ottawa. On the day set aside to honour Col John By and to celebrate local history, his workers who laboured building the canal will also be remembered. A memorial ceremony to the workers and their families who died during the building of the Rideau Canal between1826-32 will take place at 2pm at the Rideau Canal Workers Monument at the first lock. | 
