A rendering of the new Whites Portage Dam design, which will replace the existing dam in the same location and orientation. Originally constructed in 1918, the dam regulates the lake’s water level and outflow into Gloucester Pool/Parks Canada

The federal government will spend about $74 million ($54 million USD) over three years on critical infrastructure improvements along the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site in Ontario.

The waterway is Canada’s largest and one of the most visited national historic sites, welcoming more than 1 million visitors each year. It spans more than 400 kilometres (250 miles) with 44 locks, a marine railway and about 160 water control structures.

The work supported through this investment — part of the $557 million ($408 million USD) in funding announced by the Government of Canada in late 2022 — includes:

• Repairs to the Kirkfield Lift Lock.

• Recapitalization of the walls, tunnels and valves at Lock 42 – Couchiching.

• Recapitalization of the Little Chute Dam “G” near Port Severn.

• Replacement of the Whites Portage Dam on Six Mile Lake.

• Recapitalization of the valve tunnels for Healey Falls Locks 16 and 17.

• Creation of an access road from White’s Falls Road to the Pretty Channel Dam.

By conserving the heritage value of these cultural resources, Parks Canada expects to better be able mitigate flood risks, protect heritage in Canada and strengthen the appeal of this waterway as a destination for visitors and tourists. The lifespan and function of these structures will be extended for decades, continuing to connect and protect local communities.

A rendering of the current Whites Portage Dam/Parks Canada

Parks Canada conserves and presents national heritage places. More than just supporting visitors as cornerstones of Canada’s tourism industry, Parks Canada’s assets play critical functions, such as transportation, water management, public safety, and services to residents and businesses. These upgrades will help ensure public safety, quality and reliability for visitors, incorporate green technologies and climate resilience, while connecting Canadians with nature and history.

“Parks Canada’s robust dam and lock improvements along the iconic Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site will ensure critical flood mitigation for regional communities and provide for safe navigational experiences for Canadians to connect with nature,” Steven Guilbeault, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, said in a news release. “From First Nations to fur traders to lumber barons and steamship traffic, the waterway has linked communities across Ontario for over a hundred years.”

The waterway, including its tributary lakes and rivers, is an integral piece of history in Canada, a crucial transportation link for the region, and an important economic, environmental and recreational resource used by thousands of boaters, shoreline residents, businesses and vacationers every year. It also provides water for power generation, municipal water supplies, and agriculture and supports a variety of fish and wildlife.

Parks Canada manages water levels to achieve various objectives, including safe navigation, mitigation of flooding and the protection of the environment.

The federal agency’s wide-ranging infrastructure portfolio includes more than 18,500 built assets such as highways, bridges, dams and other marine infrastructure, historic buildings and fortifications, water and wastewater treatment facilities, campgrounds, visitor centers and operational buildings and compounds. Since 2015, the federal infrastructure investment program has enabled Parks Canada to improve the condition of about 5,000 assets.