The Rideau Canal, also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa on the Ottawa River with the city of Kingston, on Lake Ontario, using sections of major rivers, including the Rideau and the Cataraqui, as well as some lakes. It was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States, but it remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures (canal, the locks, associated buildings and forts) intact. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and in 2007 it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Once the canal was constructed, no further military engagements took place between Canada and the United States, but it had also a commercial purpose, being easier to navigate than the St. Lawrence Rive. In 1849, the rapids of the St. Lawrence had been tamed by a series of locks, and commercial shippers were quick to switch to this more direct route. In winter, a section of the canal passing through central Ottawa becomes officially the world's largest skating rink (with an area of 90 Olympic ice hockey rinks).
About the stamp
The stamp is part of a series of two, issued on January 10, 2012, and dedicated to the Year of the Dragon, the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac.
References
Rideau Canal - Wikipedia
Rideau Canal - UNESCO official website
sender: Zack / DanielYOW (postcrossing)
sent from Ottawa (Ontario / Canada), on 11.07.2012
photo: Malak
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