Why was the canal first built?

As a safe military supply route

Where is the famous flight of eight locks?

Beside Parliament Hill in Ottawa

Rideau Canal Quiz: Ottawa's Skateway and Lock Stations

This Rideau Canal quiz glides along Ontario's historic waterway from Ottawa to Kingston. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on its 1832 completion, Lieutenant Colonel John By, its military purpose after the War of 1812, hand-cranked locks, the flight of locks beside Parliament Hill, UNESCO status, the Skateway, Winterlude and BeaverTails.

Start Rideau Canal Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Route
Which two cities does the Rideau Canal connect?
Done
When was the canal completed?
Builder
Which officer oversaw its construction?
Purpose
Why was the canal first built?
Locks
How are many of the locks still operated?
Flight
Where is the famous flight of eight locks?
UNESCO
When did the canal become a UNESCO site?
Skate
What happens to the canal in Ottawa in winter?
Fest
Which winter festival uses the Skateway?
Treat
Which fried pastry do skaters enjoy?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which two cities does the Rideau Canal connect?
Answer: Ottawa and Kingston
It runs about 202 km.
Q2: When was the canal completed?
Answer: 1832
It took about six years to build.
Q3: Which officer oversaw its construction?
Answer: Lieutenant Colonel John By
Ottawa was once called Bytown after him.
Q4: Why was the canal first built?
Answer: As a safe military supply route
Leaders feared another war with the US.
Q5: How are many of the locks still operated?
Answer: By hand-cranked gates
Staff turn cranks as in the 1800s.
Q6: Where is the famous flight of eight locks?
Answer: Beside Parliament Hill in Ottawa
Boats climb from the Ottawa River.
Q7: When did the canal become a UNESCO site?
Answer: 2007
It is a well-preserved early canal.
Q8: What happens to the canal in Ottawa in winter?
Answer: It becomes a long skating rink
The Skateway is about 7.8 km long.
Q9: Which winter festival uses the Skateway?
Answer: Winterlude
It is held in February.
Q10: Which fried pastry do skaters enjoy?
Answer: BeaverTails
It is stretched flat like a tail.

Hand-Cranked Locks and a Frozen Skateway

The Rideau Canal runs about 202 kilometers from Ottawa to Kingston in Ontario. After the War of 1812, Britain feared another American attack, so Lieutenant Colonel John By oversaw building a safe inland supply route. Completed in 1832, it is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America.

Many locks are still opened with hand-cranked gates, much as in the 1800s. In Ottawa, a flight of eight locks beside Parliament Hill lifts boats from the Ottawa River. The town that grew around the works was once called Bytown, after the canal's builder. The canal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

In winter, a stretch through Ottawa freezes into the Rideau Canal Skateway, about 7.8 kilometers long. People skate to work and school, and the Winterlude festival fills the canal with visitors each February. Skaters warm up with BeaverTails, fried pastries stretched flat like a beaver's tail.

What This Quiz Teaches

History fans will enjoy these questions.

Which cities it links
Why it was built
How the locks work
How it is protected
What happens in winter

Did You Know?

Thousands of laborers built the canal, many of them Irish.
Many workers died of malaria during construction.
Pleasure boats use the canal in summer.
Blockhouses were built to defend some locks.
The Skateway's season depends on cold weather.