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Ottawa River History Human Habitation - In the Beginnning Early Humans Native Nations European Contact European Settlement Pre-Canal Era Post Canal Era The Ebbs and Tides Today and Tomorrow Rideau River Geologic History The Glaciers The Rocks Rideau Rock Types Econonic Geology Gatineau River A History of Ottawa

Ottawa River History.........[return to Index] The Ottawa River is located in east central Canada, the chief tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It rises in the Laurentian Plateau of western Quebec and flows swiftly westward to Lake Timiskaming and then southeastward, forming for most of its course the Quebec-Ontario provincial border before it joins the St. Lawrence west of Montreal. Through its total course of 790 mi (1,271 km), the river forms innumerable lakes, the largest being Grand Victoria, Simard, Timiskaming, Allumette, Chats, and Deschenes. The Ottawa and its main tributaries, including the Rouge (115 mi long), Lièvre (205), Gatineau (240), Coulonge (135), Rideau (91), Mississippi (105), and Madawaska (143) rivers, drain an area of more than 55,000 sq mi (142,000 sq km). Explored in 1613 by Samuel de Champlain and named for a band of Algonkin Indians that once inhabited the area, the river became a chief route of explorers, fur traders, and missionaries to the Upper Great Lakes. In the 19th century the Rideau Canal, linking Ottawa to Lake Ontario, was completed, and lumbering became the dominant activity along the river. The river is no longer a major transportation artery, but it is an important source of hydroelectric power; several hydro plants and an atomic energy plant at Chalk River supply electricity for much of Quebec and Ontario. Riverine cities include Pembroke and Ottawa in Ontario and Hull in Quebec. Human Habitation - In the Beginning.......[return to Index] Ten thousand years ago, following closely on the heels of the retreating glaciers, a strange looking animal, one that walked on two legs, appeared. Humans had arrived in the Rideau region. Archaeological records indicated that humans inhabited the area near present day Perth, on the shores of the ancient Champlain Sea (see Geology) as far back as 8,000 B.C. Although people of that time tended to be pre-occupied with day to day survival, it can be imagined, that, like the present day residents and visitors to the region, they appreciated looking up at the millions of stars visible on a clear Rideau night, hearing the haunting call of the loon, and enjoying the cool evening breezes that blow across the lakes of the region. Early Humans.........[return to Index] These early inhabitants to the region arrived by following the herds of animals that grazed on vegetation that was springing up in the wake of the retreating glaciers. These people hunted large mammals such as caribou. Although no evidence has yet been found, it is likely that mammoths and mastodons roamed this region at that time, and these too would have been attractive food sources for early man. Archaeological evidence for man's presence in this area is scant, but two fluted projectile points, dating back to that time, have been found in the Rideau region. Archaeological evidence for the Archaic period (7,000 to 1,000 B.C.) is much more abundant. The people of that time lived near water, which was one of their main means of travel. An archaeological discovery of an image from that time, carved in stone, shows a six-person dug-out canoe. They hunted a variety of animals, everything from squirrels to moose. They also ate fish and shellfish, and plant food such as lily and cattail roots, wild rice, and a variety of wild berries and fruits. They had a variety of tools to help them in their hunting and food preparation including such things as projectile points, adzes, gouges, knives and hide scrapers. Their adornments included beads made of copper, stone, and shell. Their proximity to water routes such as Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence, the Ottawa and the Gatineau rivers, made long distance travel and communication a possibility. The native copper used in beads, spearpoints, fishhooks, awls, axes and other items, most likely came from pit mines on Isle Royal in Lake Superior and the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. Copper was being extracted from this area over 5,000 years ago. The distribution of copper artifacts suggests that the Ottawa River Valley was a major trade route for these materials. By the start of the Woodland period, about 1,000 B.C., (3,000 years ago), pottery first came into use. The inhabitants located on the shores of the St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay still maintained a "hunter-gatherer" lifestyle but were less nomadic than their forebearers. Within the Rideau region however life continued to be nomadic, consisting of seasonal rounds of the region for hunting, fishing and gathering of plant foods. Native Nations.........[return to Index] Two major native tribal groups inhabited the lands of the Rideau region. These were the eastern woodland Indians, the Iroquoian and Algonquian. From archaeological and linguistic evidence, these two groups had separate roots and were not related. The people who actually populated the Rideau region were known as the Algonquin, although there were no permanent settlements in the area traversed by the Rideau Waterway. A "hunter-gatherer" culture, they used the Rideau area as a source of food, setting up hunting and fishing camps throughout the region. Established villages were located on the shores of the Ottawa River and some of its major tributaries. By about 1,000 A.D., those living along the shores of the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario achieved a distinct culture, building large palisaded villages and longhouses. They moved to an agricultural lifestyle, growing corn, beans, squash, sunflowers and tobacco. This culture became known as the Iroquois. Sometime in the 15th century, shortly before Europeans arrived on the scene, villages banded together to form five tribes, the Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk. These tribes joined together in the 16th century to form the League of the Iroquois, also known as the League of Five Nations (later Six Nations when the Tuscarora tribe joined in 1722). It is estimated that at the time of the arrival of the first Europeans, the native population in Ontario was about 60,000 people. It is (unreliably) estimated that the eastern Algonquin population (Ontario and Québec) was in the order of 15,000 and the northern Iroquois population (Ontario, Québec and northern U.S.) was about 80,000. The arrival of the Europeans in the early 1500s brought about huge changes in the native way of life. European Contact.........[return to Index] Several things happened in the first century after European contact. Many native populations were decimated by European diseases. Old world diseases such as the common cold, measles, influenza, and smallpox became deadly epidemics in native communities. Native populations had no immunity against these diseases, never having been exposed to them before. Fur trapping was introduced and became an economic foundation for the tribes. In order to acquire coveted European-made items (e.g. flintlock muskets, iron axes and knives, brass kettles), native groups started large scale trapping, in conjunction with European trappers, to provide the European market with the furs it wanted. Trapping led the natives to form allegiances with the major European players of the day, the French and the British. The Algonquin natives allied themselves with the French, and the Iroquois with the British. It was inevitable that this would lead to conflict, and in the early 1600s a series of hostilities, known as the "Iroquois Wars", broke out. The Iroquois League of Five Nations attacked other native groups and the French. In the 1630s, the Mohawk were raiding Algonquin villages in the Ottawa River Valley, and by 1640 they were attacking French and Algonquin settlements in the St. Lawrence Valley. In the Rideau region, the natives who ventured north from the St. Lawrence after about 1,000 A.D. were likely the St. Lawrence Iroquois. This group of people had disappeared by about 1580, likely due to a combination of European diseases and war with the Huron. The Five Nations had little influence in the Rideau until about 1660, when they built a series of settlements along the north shore of Lake Ontario. These settlements lasted until the early 1700s when they were taken over by the Ojibwa/Ottawa invading into this area from the north. The Iroquois Wars continued throughout the 1600s. These were finally brought to a halt in 1701 when the Iroquois ratified a treaty that committed them to neutrality in the wars between the British and the French. In 1756 the Seven Years War started between the French and the British. After the fall of New France (Québec) to the British in 1760, many Algonquin and Iroquois natives allied themselves with the British. During the American Revolution, Iroquois loyalties were split, and many of those in New York state, who sided with the British, later moved to Canada along with the United Empire Loyalists, and settled on land given to them by the British, in Southern Ontario. As the Indian Reserve system took hold in the late 1700s, many of the natives moved to these communities. Since the Rideau had no traditional permanent native habitation, reserves were never established in this region (many of the new reserves were established along the north shore of Lake Ontario.) The days of the traditional "hunter-gatherer" were drawing to a close. European Settlement.........[return to Index] Ontario, a word which is believed to be derived from the Iroquois word "Skanadario", which means "beautiful water" was first settled by Europeans in the 1600s. The first European to see Ontario may have been Etienne Brulé, who was sent in 1610 by Samuel de Champlain, the great French explorer and cartographer, to live with the Huron Indians and learn about the land they lived in. In 1613, Champlain himself made a journey up the Ottawa River and into the Ottawa River valley. In 1632, Champlain published the first map of Canada showing the Great Lakes. The first European community was Sainte-Marie-aux-Hurons (Ste Marie Among the Hurons), a Jesuit mission, built in 1639, near present-day Midland. In the Rideau region, the first community was Kingston, established by Count Frontenac in 1673 as a fur trading post and fort (Ft. Cataraqui). Kingston's strategic location eventually turned it into a military garrison, and the more elaborate Fort Frontenac was established. This fort was captured by the British in 1758. In 1784, the British negotiated land rights with the Mississauga Indians who occupied lands in the region, for lands on which to settle United Empire Loyalists. Kings Town as it was then known, became the capital of the region. In the summer of 1783, the Rideau Lakes area was surveyed by the British Government to determine its potential for settlement. The reports were favourable and so it was that in 1784 the first land grants were given to the United Empire Loyalists in the county of Leeds (central Rideau region). Many of these land grants were in the form of certificates of ownership for lots of 100 and 200 acres. Although many Loyalists did settle in the area, the region was so remote and inaccessible at the time, that many others never took up residence on their land. The loyalists who did not occupy the lands given to them hindered settlement for a number of years, since the land ownership were still in their names. An example is Smiths Falls, located on land originally granted in 1786 to Major Thomas Smyth, a Loyalist, and named after him. Major Smyth did nothing with the land, not even visiting it, and in 1810, mortgaged it to a man in Boston. However payment was apparently never made, and assuming he still owned the land, Smyth, in 1823, over 35 years after the land had been given to him, Smyth built a small dam and saw mill at the falls. Smyth's ownership of the land was contested, and in 1824, Smyth lost a court case held in York (now Toronto). The land was sold at a sheriff's sale in Brockville in 1825 to Charles Jones (who also owned the land now occupied by the Jones Falls dam and locks), who in turn sold it (for a tidy profit) to Abel Russell Ward. So, it was Abel Ward in 1826 who was the first to move to the area and actively start to build a settlement. The building of the Rideau Canal greatly expanded the settlement His settlement was first called Wardsville, later changed to Smyths Falls, and then to Smiths Falls. Smiths Falls was incorporated in 1882. Pre-Canal.........[return to Index] As we have seen, Kingston was the first major community in the region. By the late 1700s, several small settlements had sprung up in the Rideau region. Many of these settlements centered around rapids and falls on the Rideau where a water powered mill could be set up and used for the sawing of timber or the grinding of grain. Some of these early settlements became thriving communities, others faded into obscurity. In 1793, three Loyalist Burritt brothers, led by Stephen Burritt, established themselves in Marlborough Township and founded the settlement of Burritts Rapids. The first bridge across the Rideau was built here in 1824. In 1795 William Merrick, a millwright from Massachusetts, set up a mill on the Rideau River at the site of the falls, and founded what is today the thriving community of Merrickville. In 1800, Philemon Wright of Massachusetts, with his brother Thomas and several friends, secured land grants in Hull Township and founded Wright's Town. By the time of the building of the Rideau Canal in the late 1820s, Wright's Town was a thriving community, boasting many impressive stone houses, several mills, a foundry, a 3 storey store-house, a hotel and St. James Anglican church. It was much later, in 1875, that it was incorporated and renamed Hull, after a city in Yorkshire, England. Perth was originally laid out as a military settlement in 1816 to help protect the inland water route connecting Lake Ontario with the Ottawa River, and to act as an administrative centre for settlers in the region. Its name derived from the source of many of its early settlers, Perth, Scotland. Many of these were military officers on half pay pensions. The next settlement to be founded was Richmond, which was established as a townsite in 1818 when 400 men from the 99th Regiment of Foot and their families settled down in the region. A few dozen settled in Richmond itself, with the others clearing land and setting up farms in the surrounding region. When Colonel By arrived in the region to start the construction of the Rideau Canal the first thing he needed was a headquarters and a place to station his men and the contractors' workers. Accordingly, in 1826, By laid out the plans for upper and lower Bytown, located north and south of the proposed route of the Rideau Canal. A thriving community took hold. In 1842 it became the administration centre for the District of Dalhousie (now Carleton County). It was incorporated as a town in 1850; changed its name to Ottawa in 1855 and was formally incorporated as the City of Ottawa; and in 1859 it was chosen by Queen Victoria as the site of Canada's national capital. At the start of construction of the Rideau Canal in 1826, the central Rideau region was a vast wilderness, with only a few small settlements. As the map below illustrates, outside of the communities mentioned previously, only a few small mills such as Maitland's Rapids, Nicholson's Rapids, Wardsville, Chaffey's Mills, Davis' Mills, Upper and Lower Brewer's Mills, and Kingston Mills existed in the region. Davis Lock, 1840 - watercolour by Thomas Burrowes Some of these original mills had to be torn down to make way for the Canal. An example is Davis Mill, a saw mill established by an American settler, William Davis between 1800 and 1802. Mr. Davis' land and mill was bought out by Colonel By to allow the installation of the lock. When the lock was completed, one of the stone masons who worked on the lock, John Purcell became the first Lockmaster. In 1840, in reaction to the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38, a small stone fort, which later became the Lockmaster's house was built. In 1871, Alfred Foster took over as Lockmaster, and for some time the lock was known as Foster's Lock. No community ever grew up around Davis Lock and it stands today, a solitary lock, looking much as it did 160 years ago. In other areas, thriving communities did establish themselves. In 1802, the land on which the town of Elgin now sits was granted to Ebenezer Halladay, a United Empire Loyalist. The building of the Rideau Canal greatly improved commerce in the area, and by the 1830s a village known as Halladay's Corners had built up, and was linked by road with Jones Falls. One of the most momentous events in Elgin's history was when Mormon missionaries arrived in the region in the 1830s and recruited many families. In 1834, one hundred and thirty five covered wagons left Halladay's Corners for Mormon settlements in the United States. It must have been quite a sight. For a brief time Elgin took on the Mormon name Nauvoo, meaning "beautiful". The present name of Elgin (pronounced Elg in, NOT El gin) is in honour of James Bruce, Lord Elgin, one time Governor-General of Canada. Portland (Portland-on-the-Rideau), follows a tradition of naming communities after "royalty", taking its name from the third Duke of Portland (William Henry Cavendish). The first permanent settlers were Herman and Harry Chipman, Loyalists who settled in the area in 1796. .Portland is located near the early route to Perth, which went overland from Brockville to the eastern end of Rideau Lake (The Bay), near present day Portland. From there travellers would board scows, and travel to Oliver's Ferry (now Rideau Ferry) where they would disembark, travel overland to the Tay River (past Pikes Falls), and then travel by boat to Perth. For many years it was known as Old Landing, then was renamed in the late 1800s to Portland. Post Canal.........[return to Index] Settlement of the region dramatically increased after the building of the Canal. The Rideau Waterway, intended for military use, instead became a commercial lifeline, linking the communities in the region to outside markets. The 19th century saw farming, lumbering, mining, milling of various types (grist, lumber, carding), cheese factories, distilleries, and other small businesses operating in the region. Some of the distinctive architectural style of the region was created by the many skilled stonemasons who settled in the area on land granted to them after the completion of the Canal. It is in the Rideau region that you will see some of the finest examples of stone masonry in North America. The government even played a role in local architecture. After 1811, buildings were taxed based on the number of storeys and the type of material used in construction. To minimize taxes, settlers built one and half storey round log (squared on two sides) cabins, with one fireplace (if a fireplace was used for cooking it was not taxed). For instance, in the 1851 census for North Gower, which at the time had a population of 1,777, it shows 3 stone houses, 21 frame houses, 162 log houses, and 91 shanty houses. By contrast, the richer community of Bytown boasted 121 stone houses, 6 brick houses, 556 frame houses, 430 log house and 12 shanty houses. The Ebbs and Tides.........[return to Index] Although vibrant Rideau region communities such as Merrickville, Perth, Elgin, Westport, Smiths Fall, Newboro, Seeley's Bay and Kemptville are testimony to the vigour of the people who live in these areas, not all communities have survived the transition to the modern era. The ebb and tide of history have flowed through the region, changes have happened and will continue to happen. Crosby, now a gas stop and a few residences, was, in 1850, a thriving community of 100 people. It was then known as Singleton's Corners. In 1888 the B & W Railroad (Brockville & Westport Railroad) passed through the community, and a train station, named Crosby was built. However, with the passing of the railroad, so too did Crosby fade. Some communities have fallen almost completely into the dust. Bedford Mills, located at the west end of Newboro Lake (actually on Loon Lake), was, in 1831, the site of a mill, built by the Chaffey brothers at Buttermilk Falls. Benjamin Tett, the owner of the land, re-acquired it from the Chaffeys in 1834. In 1835, the government built a post office, naming it Bedford Mills (after the Duke of Bedford). Through the 1800s, lumbering provided employment and the town thrived. At the turn of the century, mica mining supported the community. In addition, a grist mill and a cheese factory had been established. But the mines played out, and by the 1920s, most of the town stood vacant. Much of the town has now fallen to dust, although the grist mill has been converted into a private residence. A similar story to that of Bedford Mills can be told of the former community of Opinicon. It sprang up in the mid-1800s at the western end of Opinicon Lake. Supported first by the timber industry, and then a phosphate mine, it became quite a busy port facility for the shipment of these and other products to market. But these products eventually played out, and the regions poor rocky soils couldn't support commercial farming, and so the community was eventually abandoned. Not all communities that fell on hard times have fallen into the dust. Burritts Rapids, one of the earliest communities on the Rideau, stood to prosper as a thriving centre of commerce, and in fact it did so in the early years of the Canal. But the railways did not come to Burritts Rapids, the businesses left and homes were left vacant for many years. But now, with its beautiful location and proximity to Ottawa, it has become a community again, with many of the buildings restored to former glory by their current occupants. Today and Tomorrow.........[return to Index] Travelling the Rideau, it is easy to appreciate the history of the region. Travellers entering through the City of Kingston, with it's marvellous stone architecture, are instantly transported to an earlier era. In much of the "old city" it is easy to visualise horse drawn carriages clattering down the street, with a host of pedestrians, the women in long dresses, the men dressed neatly in long jackets, all sporting hats. The locks themselves are living history. The cranks (hand winches known as "crabs") that open the locks, turn today, opening the wooden gates, just as they did 160 years ago. As your boat passes through the locks, it follows in the wake of a host of vessels from by-gone eras, canoes, skiffs, motor launches, sleek mahogany cruisers, steam yachts all the way to today's shiny smooth curved fibreglass boats. In addition to towns and villages, the Rideau region for the last century has seen a settlement pattern of a different sort, becoming home to many who enjoy the pleasures of a fine Rideau summer. By the turn of the last century, many cottages and summer homes were springing up along the shores of the Rideau Lakes. Today, as you cruise by cottages and residences along the shore, you will notice how the old and new blend together. Summer homes with wide verandas, quaint cottages, rustic cabins, modern houses with expanses of glass, all co-exist along the shores and islands of the Rideau Lakes. Remarkably, along the Rideau these differences in architecture don't clash, but blend together in a celebration of old and new. For many boating visitors, house watching is a fun pastime all on its own. The first European settlers, arriving here 200 years ago, would be amazed at the changes that have taken place along the Rideau. However, they would also recognize the roots that they put down so many years ago. The Rideau region has maintained its rural charm and tradition while at the same time providing all the modern amenities as we approach the 21st century. Lower Bytown, 1845 - watercolour by Thomas Burrowes The greatest change in the region has taken place at the far end of the Rideau, in the City of Ottawa. Two hundred years ago, Ottawa was a wilderness with no human habitation. Now, it is a vital, bustling city, Canada's National Capital, and in addition to being a government town, it is the centre of Canada's high tech industries, and has been dubbed by some "Silicon Valley of the North". It has a charm and an ambience rivalled by few other North American cities. The Rideau Canal takes the visitor to the very heart of this beautiful city, with the final flight of 8 locks framed by the architectural beauty of Canada's Parliament Buildings and the majestic Chateau Laurier Hotel. Ottawa is surrounded by a series of green belts, and new suburbs are springing up outside of these areas. The main development is to the south of the main city of Ottawa, and will not encroach too much on the Rideau itself. The Rideau Lakes region will continue to maintain it's rural charm for the foreseeable future to delight many more generations of residents and visitors. Rideau River Geologic History.........[return to Index] Thirteen thousand years ago, a blink of the eye in geologic time, the Rideau region was sitting under a glacier, over a kilometre in thickness. There were no lakes, no trees, no wildlife, and no people. As the glaciers receded they exposed the bedrock, striated (ice gouged) in many places, and they also left behind trillions of tonnes of glacial rubble. The bedrock, which had been depressed by the weight of the ice, now started to rise up (isostatic rebound). Vegetation started to take hold and eventually the region took on the appearance it has today. Geology has played an important role in affecting the appearance of the area and influencing man's uses of the region. The shape of some of the lakes is tectonically influenced, an example being the Rideau Lakes (Big, Upper and Lower) which follow the trace of the aptly named Rideau Lake Fault. Fishing in the region is excellent since the lakes are unaffected by so called "acid rain", due to the fact that most of the lake basins are composed of limestone, which acts as a buffer to any acidic precipitation. Areas where the glaciers left thicker cover (gravels and soils) are now primarily agricultural regions, areas that have thin cover and exposed bedrock are generally wooded with little agricultural development. THE GLACIERS.........[return to Index] Notwithstanding the arguments over man's role in global warming, it exists, and has existed in the Rideau region for the last 13,000 years. There have been four periods of glaciation in recent times, each lasting about 100,000 years, and each separated by an interglacial period with temperatures as warm or warmer than they are now. At the height of each glacial period, over 30% of the earth's surface was covered by ice (compared to 10% ice coverage today). The most recent period of glaciation in North America is known as the Wisconsin Period. In the Rideau area, it first took hold about 90,000 years ago, and ended about 13,000 years ago. As the ice retreated, the landscape underwent progressive changes: Thirteen thousand (13,000) years ago, the whole region, including present day Lake Ontario was under ice. Twelve thousand, five hundred (12,500) years ago, Lake Iroquois had formed where present day Lake Ontario is located. It was quite a bit bigger than Lake Ontario, and considerably higher (about 335 feet above sea level compared to today's 243 feet), since the water outlet to the east was blocked by the retreating glaciers. Lake Iroquois drained southeast into present day New York State. Twelve thousand (12,000) years ago, Lake Iroquois covered most of the Rideau region, stretching all the way north to Ottawa. By eleven thousand, five hundred (11,500) years ago, the scene had changed quite dramatically. The glaciers had retreated far enough to open up the St. Lawrence Valley lowland and let the ocean flood in. The Champlain Sea extended west, all the way up the Ottawa River Valley, past Ottawa. The southwestern margin of this sea was close to the present day height of land that traverses the Lower Rideau Lake area. At this time, the drainage from Lake Iroquois/Lake Ontario was east, down the channel of the present day St. Lawrence River, into the Champlain Sea. This new drainage resulted in a lake that was a bit smaller than present-day Lake Ontario. Changes continued, driven to a large degree by isostatic rebound. Now that the weight of the ice was gone, the land was rising. This lifting of the land eventually pushed back the Champlain sea. By 6,000 years ago, the region looked very much like it does now. It should continue to do so for some time. The last interglacial period in this region lasted over 150,000 years, so we certainly don't have to worry about glaciers in our lifetime. THE ROCKS.........[return to Index] There is a basic division in the geological time scale that occurs at 600 million years ago. Everything prior to that date is known as the Precambrian. Most of the currently known fossil record of the earth comes after that, and there are many geological divisions from 600 million years ago to the present. Many of the rocks in the Rideau Region belong to the Precambrian. As can be seen from the simplified geological map of the Rideau Lakes region, most of the region consists of Precambrian limestone (marble), gneiss, quartzite, granulite, migmatite and granitic (quartz monzonite) plutons. These rocks are overlain in many parts by more recent, Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks. A description of these rocks can be found in the next section. There is not a great deal of relief in the area, but much of what can be seen is a result of differential erosion. Softer rock, such as the limestone, are eroded more quickly, and now form the basins of many of the lakes. Harder rocks such as the gneisses, quartzites, and granites tend to form many of the hills and ridges in the region. In a regional sense, the Precambrian rocks in the Rideau region form part of what is known as the "Frontenac Axis", a narrow section of the Canadian Shield that links the Laurentian Plateau with the Adirondack Mountains of New York. In the landsat image you also can clearly see these two physiographic features, and if you look closely, you can see the physical expression of the Frontenac Axis. Most of the Precambrian rocks have been metamorphosed (altered from their original state by pressure and heat) and belong to the Grenville Metamorphic Series. They are in excess of one billion years old. These metamorphic rocks were intruded by younger igneous rocks (granites and gabbros), shown in pink on the map. These in turn were cut by more recent intrusive rocks, pegmatites and diabase dykes. These Precambrian rocks are uncomformably (separated by a long erosional period) in contact with overlying Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks, shown in grey on the map. These include sandstone, conglomerate, dolomite, dolomitic limestone, sandy shale, fine grained grey limestone, and sandy limestone. It is from this series of rocks that the blocks for the Rideau locks and dams were cut. RIDEAU ROCK TYPES.........[return to Index] The main rock types are listed below. Limestone - Known as crystalline limestone it is really a coarsely crystalline calcite marble. This rock is soft and has been eroded more deeply than other rocks, and therefor forms the basins for most of the large lakes of the region. In many areas it is almost pure calcium carbonate, although inclusions are very common. These can include varying amounts of graphite, and silicate minerals such as serpentine, quartz, phlogopite and feldspar. In some areas, dolomitic limestone is present. In the region around Charleston Lake, silicious crystalline limestone can be found, usually adjacent to the quartzite units. Gneiss and Quartzite - Quartzite is a "silica flooded" metamorphic rock. The high silica content and the way it is incorporated into the rock makes it very hard. It is the hardest rock in the region and therefore forms many of the ridge tops in areas where it is present. Its origins are sedimentary, most likely sandstone, and in some places original sedimentary features such as bedding and crossbedding can be observed. Gneiss is a generic descriptive term for a metamorphic rock with discontinuous visible layering (foliation) which occurs when groups of platy or elongate grains in separate lenses or streaks. It will often had differential colouring with alternating streaks/bands of light and dark minerals. In the Rideau Lakes region it is the most abundant rock after crystalline limestone. The most common units are a quartz-feldspar gneiss and a quartz-biotite-feldspar gneiss. In many areas, the metamorphism has introduced metamorphic minerals such as garnet (pink to dark red in crystals up to 2 inches in diameter) and cordierite (dark blue pods and segregations about 1 inch long). Granulite and Migmatite - A granulite is an almost structureless quart-feldspar rock. It can be distinguished from gneiss by its generally lighter colour (almost no dark minerals) and the almost complete absence of foliation (layering). A migmatite is a metamorphic rock with a mixed structure, that usually results from the mixing of metamorphic and igneous material. Thus it is commonly found in proximity to the intrusive units (granites) and may represent re-melting of the original gneissic units. Granite and Gabbro - Several igneous rock units occur in the area, the main ones being granitic units which range in composition from monzonite to quartz-monzonite. They are light in colour, generally coarse grained, and contain reddish-pink feldspar. The other igneous rocks are gabbro and diorite, both dark coloured intrusive rocks. The diorite is a greenish-grey medium grained rock, although coarse grained sections can occur. The gabbro is generally medium grained, with a greenish brown colour. Palaeozoic Sedimentary Rocks - These are the youngest rocks in the area, of Upper Cambrian to Middle Ordovician age (450 to 500 million years ago). Most of the units are flat lying, often lying unconformably over the tilted and folded Precambrian rock units. The lowermost unit is the Nepean Sandstone, a buff coloured sandstone which in some places contains a quartz-pebble conglomerate. It is overlain by the March and Oxford formations consisting of sandy dolomite, dolomite, and limestone. The uppermost unit is the Ottawa formation, consisting of sandy shale, fine grained grey limestone, and sandy limestone. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY.........[return to Index] No large scale mining has ever been conducted in this region, but many small, short term operations at various times mined a variety of minerals including; galena, magnetite, hematite, mica, apatite, graphite, barite, celestite, quartz crystals, feldspar, building stone, and gravel. Galena (lead sulphide) was mined near Lyndhurst in the mid to late 1800s. A couple of very small scale operations mined barite, and several mined celestite (strontium sulphate). Iron was mined in several localities. From 1858 to 1871, iron, in the form of titaniferous magnetite, hosted by gabbro, was mined near Newboro Lake (Chaffey Mine and Matthews Mine). Some small scale mining of hematite (iron ore), starting as early as 1810, was done near Delta. The original mine supplied a smelter at Furnace Falls (now Lyndhurst). There are several deposits of apatite and mica which have been mined. Apatite was a prime source of phosphate for fertilizer prior to 1890. The largest apatite mine was the Opinicon Rock Lake mine which operated from 1888 to 1892. Mica was mined from several localities. It often occurs with apatite, so some of the mines produced both products. The main mica mines were the Sand Lake mine, which opened in 1870 and was mined intermittently until 1912, and the Stoness mine, near Buck Lake which mined mica from 1894 to 1902. Graphite was mined intermittently in the Timmins Mines, north of Big Rideau Lake, from 1918 to 1923. Quartz crystals were mined near Black Rapids, starting in 1943. The crystals are found in vugs, some up to a foot long and doubly terminated. Several granite quarries were opened. Some attractive pink and red quartz monzonite was mined (known as Lyndhurst Rose Granite and Rideau Red Granite). Unfortunately, much of this rock contains inclusions and irregular fractures, and the amount of waste in the mines could be high at times. Sandstone was quarried for use in building the Rideau Canal. The sandstone used in the construction of the locks and dam at Jones Falls was mined near Elgin. The churches in Elgin are also built of this material. Gatineau River.........[return to Index] French RIVIÈRE GATINEAU, river in Outaouais region, southwestern Quebec province, Canada. The river rises in a chain of lakes north of Baskatong Reservoir and flows generally southward for 240 miles (390 km) to join the Ottawa River at Hull. It was named for Nicolas Gatineau, a fur trader who is reputed to have drowned there about 1683. Having served for centuries as a major artery for the lumber trade, the Gatineau has also become an important source of hydroelectric power in the 20th century. A History of Ottawa*.........[return to Index] "Ottawa" is adapted from the Indian word, Odawa, meaning "traders." Odawa was the name of an Algonquin Indian tribe who settled and traded furs in the area. Ottawa was a perfect site for such commercial activities, being located at the juncture of three rivers - the Rideau, the Ottawa and the Gatineau. The first European to explore the region was Samuel de Champlain, in 1613. He was followed by settlers who developed the lumber industry along the river's edge. Around 1800, Philomen Wright, a United Empire Loyalist, led the establishment of the first settlement in the area at what is today Hull, Quebec. After the war of 1812, British military engineers, led by Lt.-Col. John By, built the 202 kilometre-long (125.5 miles), 47 lock, Rideau Canal. Completed in 1832 at a cost of less than $4 million, the canal created a link to the St. Lawrence River that was safe from any future American invasion. The Rideau Canal, one of Canada's nine heritage canals, also helped pave the way for further settlement, trade and expansion of the lumber industry. When the canal was started, there were few settlers on the present day site of Ottawa, although Wrightsville, across the river in Quebec, was a thriving frontier town with an active logging trade. When the canal was completed, the settlement at its north end was named Bytown, in the Colonel's honour. Bytown was divided into two sections - Upper Town, where the Parliament Buildings are now situated, and Lower Town, across from the canal. After 1850, when the Chaudire Falls were harnessed as a source of mechanical power, the region became a major lumber producer and lumber barons created the largest concentration of milling operations anywhere in the world. By 1855, the population had risen to 10,000 and the city was incorporated under its present name to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first descent of the Odawa Indians down the river. In 1857, Queen Victoria created a controversy by choosing Ottawa as the capital of the then British Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. Opposition to the choice was loud and strong, especially from Kingston and Toronto, both of which considered Ottawa as no more than a backwoods town, known mainly for its drinking and fighting. In 1867, Ottawa became the capital of the Dominion of Canada, and it remains the seat of government and the center of Canada's parliamentary system. Canada is a constitutional monarchy based on the British system, with an elected prime minister, 294 elected members of Parliament, and 114 members appointed to the Senate by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister. The Governor General is appointed to the position by the prime minister and serves as the Queen's representative in Canada. The imposing Parliament Buildings, completed in 1866, were modelled on Britain's Houses of Parliament. However, after a devastating fire in 1916 in which only the Parliamentary Library was saved, Ottawa's Parliament Buildings had to be almost completely rebuilt. The Peace Tower, in the Centre Block, was designed to be the tallest structure in Ottawa, and even today building height restrictions ensure it will not be dwarfed. Today's capital owes much of its beauty to the French planner, Jacques Grber, who was commissioned after World War II by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to lay out a new plan for the city. His design is largely responsible for the Greenbelt, which includes a large and functioning farm inside the city, and the beautiful, expansive Gatineau Park. These two protected park areas, which are often referred to as the "emerald necklace", surround the city with 532 square kilometres (205 square miles) of open space, and make Ottawa one of the "greenest" capitals of the world. [*text courtesy OTTAWA TOURISM AND CONVENTION AUTHORITY (OTCA)] .........[return to Index]