JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1019 Report
An ambitious and audacious multi-million-dollar project to transform the Soulanges Canal into a unique linear park envisioned to become an iconic regional attraction that provides recreational activities, hosts cultural events and serves as a tourist destination, took a step forward earlier this spring when the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges put forward a plan it hopes will capture the imagination of residents and provincial government funding agencies.
The blueprint, officially adopted in May, outlines a modern new vision for the historic 126-year-old canal.
Designed by Montreal-based architectural design firm Collectif Escargo, the plan showcases a series of hubs along the abandoned canal that follows the north shore of the St. Lawrence River and once served as a route for ships to bypass the rapids between Lake St. Louis and Lac St. François, stretching from Pointe des Cascades through Les Cèdres, Coteau du Lac and Les Coteaux.
Creating access points for water-based activities, improving cycling routes and providing outdoor entertainment venues, the revitalization of the canal is designed around five core themes: accessibility; recreation; protection of water and natural environments; art, culture, heritage and archaeology; and urban integration.
“It’s a project that has taken several years,” Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, the director-general of the Parc du canal de Soulanges, said in an interview last week. “But for us, it’s really worth doing it this way, to do it well.”
These themes closely align with residents’ desires for the future of the canal that have been expressed at numerous public consultations, Sigouin-Lebel explained. “We could really see in the project, and then in the images they gave us, the whole aspect of citizenship that was being promoted and then really the projects for accessibility, for citizens, for families, all that.”
Concept images of the plan show wide footpaths along the canal, boardwalks and pedestrian bridges, as well as docks for pleasure boats and ramps for improved accessibility to the waterway. Wooden bleachers look out to a platform on the water to be used for concerts or other forms of live entertainment.
The plan also outlines potential locations for nearby dining and spaces for community gatherings, as well as locations for murals and other works of public art. The length of the walkways along the canal will also be lit at night using directional projection devices, allowing users to safely stroll the area at night while minimizing the impact on the local ecosystem.
A nod to canal’s history
The plan also incorporates some of the canal’s historic landmarks, some of which are showing their age after years of neglect.
“We’ve got to remember the canal was closed in 1959 due to the fact that the St. Lawrence Seaway opened up,” said Pointe des Cascades Mayor Peter Zytynsky in an interview. “So the canal was abandoned. (Left to) rot.”
The “Petit Pouvoir” hydroelectric power station, which operated along the canal in Les Cèdres from 1899 to 1959 — is shown as a featured point of interest in the plan. The two-storey red brick structure was deemed a heritage building in 1984, but has remained vacant since 1995. The plan envisions the building fully restored and open to the public as a heritage site in the future.
The plan also features the renovation of the historic lighthouse at the entrance of the canal in Pointe des Cascades, including the construction of a paved footpath up to and around the structure. The 50-foot-tall lighthouse was built in 1904 and served to guide vessels into the narrow canal at night.
Good for tourism, future generations
Zytynsky expressed appreciation for the care the MRC is showing in preserving the history of the canal, as well as enthusiasm for the added tourism the plan will bring to the area.
“Just in Pointe des Cascades, the amount of visitors we get now is huge,” said Zytynsky, explaining that people from all over the region and even from Montreal come to the area to swim, kayak, paddleboard and cycle along the canal, among many other outdoor activities in the area. He expects the plan to improve accessibility and restore the historic landmarks and help to “bring the canal up to snuff when it comes to stuff like (tourism).”
Zytynsky said that while this ambitious design is unlikely to see results in the near future, he called the plan a long-term investment “for future generations to enjoy.”
There is no estimated cost pegged to the plan.
“There is no specific cost associated with it, as the work and projects will be carried out as opportunities and subsidies become available, in collaboration with other partners as needed,” said MRC communications adviser Catherine St-Amour, who added the project will be rolled out over a 30-year timeframe.
Sigouin-Lebel confirmed that no estimates for the total estimated cost to the region could be provided, adding simply: “It is certain that it will be several million dollars, if not tens of millions” over the course of the 30-year timeframe, paid for both by the region and through subsidies from the Quebec government.
As the canal is owned by Transports Quebec, it is now up to the ministry to accept the MRC’s plan and implement a strategy to upgrade the existing infrastructure.
“We hope that this (master plan) will push Transports Quebec to act,” Sigouin-Lebel added.
In the meantime, St-Amour said the MRC will develop “a strategy for implementing the plan (. . .) based on future opportunities.”