A link between the city and nature, the Lachine Canal is located in the southwest of Montreal. Its 13.5-kilometer urban route drawn between the Old Port and Lake Saint-Louis, its waterway punctuated by five locks, its green urban park, its banks lined with industrial remains and its varied calendar of activities make this emblematic place an experience that you will want to share with family or friends.

Every day is a journey. For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go there. I travel for the pleasure of traveling. The big thing is to move.

By bike, on foot or by boat, visitors to the Lachine Canal enjoy a nature break as the crow flies from the bustle of the city. Located in the southwest of Montreal, the canal is a real link between the city and nature.

The 14.5-kilometer route that links the Old Port and Lake Saint-Louis follows the banks of the canal, crosses heritage and historical areas that bear witness to the industrial past of the southwest of the city. In the 19th century, it was indeed the gateway to a network of canals that linked the Atlantic and the heart of the continent.

Today, its green banks invite to picnics and bike rides with family or friends, while its waterway, punctuated by five locks, accommodates various types of boats.

This iconic place runs through a bustling neighborhood that is home to art galleries, fine restaurants, bars, and shops where you might want to stop by to prolong the fun. And do not miss a break at the Atwater market, famous for its butchers, cheese makers and market gardeners where you can stock up on gourmet provisions for your picnic!

At the beginning of xix ^e century, the United States, in full expansion towards the west, entered the “age of the canals”. As early as 1807, the project to dig a canal connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River threatened to divert trade to the only port of New York. In 1815, the government of Lower Canada sponsored a study aimed at building the canal on the island of Montreal but postponed its implementation. Four years later, a group of Montreal businessmen, anxious to attract commercial traffic to their city, formed the Company of Lachine Canal Owners and took ownership of the project. They entrusted the realization to a consortium formed among others of the company of Scottish immigrants John Redpath and Thomas McKay. However, they did not succeed in raising all the private capital necessary for the business and the provincial government voted to take over the financing.