Federal infrastructure funding will help improve the visitor experience.
MONTRÉAL, Aug. 7, 2018 /CNW/ - Parks Canada is required to protect and promote nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage. National historic sites reflect the rich and varied heritage of our nation and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history.
The Government of Canada will soon begin work to add infrastructure for visitors at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. Mr. Marc Miller, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Ville-Marie — Le Sud-Ouest — Île-des-Soeurs, announced today on behalf of Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, that work will begin to improve the visitor experience at Lachine Canal.
The work announced today will add a one-kilometre section of path and a building providing washroom facilities and a rest area on the north side of the canal, between Atwater Avenue and Des Seigneurs Street, in an area that does not currently include any infrastructure for visitors. Echoing the strategies found in the Lachine Canal Management Plan, recently tabled in the House of Commons, this will allow the Government of Canada to provide current and future users with renovated facilities and services that better reflect their expectations as well as the recent transformations in the adjacent neighbourhoods. The contract awarded by Public Services and Procurement Canada for this work represents an investment of more than $6 million.
Lachine Canal is one of Parks Canada's flagship sites in the Montréal region. It is popular with visitors who come to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities in the heart of one of the biggest cities in the country.
Following the largest consultation ever on Parks Canada, Minister McKenna put forward her priorities for Parks Canada through the Minister's Round Table. Lachine Canal is an excellent example of Parks Canada's efforts to enable Canadians to discover, connect with and enjoy historic sites and national parks through innovative ideas.
The Government of Canada is currently making major infrastructure investments at historic sites and national parks in order to sustain the incredible ecological and economic value that they provide for society and our country's heritage, for both current and future generations.
Quotes
"Through these investments in the Lachine Canal National Historic Site, the Government of Canada is ensuring that visitor facilities are safe, reliable and of high quality, enabling more Canadians, especially youth, to experience the outdoors and learn about our environment and heritage. Rehabilitating Parks Canada's site infrastructure allows more Canadians to discover and enjoy one of the world's most beautiful and extensive networks of protected places."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna,
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and minister responsible for Parks Canada
"This project will allow Montrealers and visitors to benefit from new infrastructure that will encourage better traffic flow in one of the busiest areas of the Lachine Canal. Public Services and Procurement Canada is proud to support Parks Canada in carrying out this work through an open and transparent process that ensures the best value for taxpayers."
The honourable Carla Qualtrough,
Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility
"Thanks to this additional infrastructure at Lachine Canal, current users, as well as new users, will be able to connect a bit more with this national historic site located in the heart of one of the biggest cities in Canada. By providing innovative services, such as a new path section, Parks Canada will help more Canadians discover and enjoy one of the largest and most beautiful networks of protected places in the world."
Marc Miller,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Ville‑Marie — Le Sud-Ouest — Île-des-Soeurs
Quick facts
- Over a million people visit the Lachine Canal National Historic Site every year. It is very popular with residents of Montréal and visitors to the city, and is a major tourist attraction for the metropolitan area.
- A link between the city and nature, the canal is a waterway punctuated by five locks that extends over 14.5 kilometres between Lake Saint-Louis and the Old Port of Montréal. Located in the heart of the city, this Parks Canada National Historic Site offers a wide variety of activities and is a magnificent place to explore with family or friends.
- Parks Canada is investing a record $3 billion over five years to carry out infrastructure work on facilities located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas.
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Backgrounder
Federal Infrastructure Investment
Addition of Visitor Infrastructure at the Lachine Canal National Historic Site
Lachine Canal National Historic Site
Built in 1825 to bypass the Lachine Rapids, the Lachine Canal runs 14.5 km between Montréal's Old Port and Lake Saint-Louis. The gateway to a network of canals linking the Atlantic to the heart of the continent, the Lachine Canal paved the way for the urbanization of the southwest part of the Island of Montréal. Much more than an inland waterway, the canal is also a bustling urban park with a surprisingly rich history. Each year, more than a million visitors enjoy the banks of the Lachine Canal. Canal activities and facilities provide an opportunity to explore the history of this industrialization and navigation landmark, while enjoying a unique urban setting. Parks Canada maintains the site annually from mid-April to mid-November.
This project echoes a number of the strategies in the Lachine Canal Management Plan, recently tabled in the House of Commons: renewing the facilities and services offered, in order to better reflect the expectations of a variety of different users as well as the recent transformations of adjacent neighbourhoods; increasing integration of the canal with adjacent communities to foster their ownership and to create positive impacts; and, lastly, creating a strong identity for the canal and providing a distinctive signature that is rooted in the heritage values of the site, making it a major destination for local visitors and tourists.
Preliminary project name: "Atwater-Des Seigneurs North Link"
Project description: The work, which is set to begin in August 2018, involves the creation of a new one-kilometre section of path on the north side of the Lachine Canal, between Atwater Market and Rue des Seigneurs. This area of the canal is currently undeveloped and not easily accessible to the public.
This project also involves fitting up a (three-season) service building with washroom facilities, a multi-purpose room, and the electrical connections required to install 30 new lampposts to provide lighting for the new section of path. Sections of the site will also be available as rental spaces for various activities.
The new infrastructure will reduce congestion in one of the busiest areas of the Lachine Canal, in addition to enhancing the visitor experience and services for users.
The "Atwater-Des Seigneurs North Link" project at the Lachine Canal was initially included in the August 2015 Federal Infrastructure Investment announcement. A portion of the project involves soil decontamination work, which will be carried out prior to building the path and funded under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP). The total federal investment in this project is valued at approximately $6 million.
Work will begin in August 2018 and will run until August 2019. The new path segment will be accessible to visitors in the end of summer 2019.
Associated links
Parks Canada
Lachine Canal National Historic Site
Parks Canada mobile app
SOURCE Parks Canada
Caroline Thériault, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-938-3813, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada Agency, 855-862-1812, [email protected]; Communications and External Relations, Parks Canada, Quebec Waterways, [email protected], 450-447-4828
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