Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A small piece of history

A place on the Rideau Canal was my destination this past weekend. I've been here before but there's a real quiet at this time of year before the canal opens and the boating season gets underway. The canal was built in the early 1830's and a lot of the lock mechanisms are original.

"The timber swing bridge crossing Upper Nicholsons lock is one of four such heritage bridges remaining along the canal. In the 1850s a petition was signed by the local residents requesting a drawbridge at the site. If a bridge was built over the lock, the petitioners promised to build one over the river. The government refused but in 1863 the municipalities of Wolford and Merrickville offered to build the bridge at their own expense. The government readily gave them permission. The Andrews brothers built a swing bridge over the upper lock the following year. They also built a fixed bridge across the river to complete the crossing. Since then the bridge has been replaced numerous times, the most recent being in 1971." (from Parks Canada website)

Note: we will be out of town for a wedding and hope to be back late Sunday. I suspect my access to the internet may be sporadic so I may not be able to post, respond, or visit until we return. Have a great week all, and thank you for your visits and comments !

(10-22mm  f11  1/50 sec  ISO100)


24 comments:

Elizabeth Grimes said...

That's pretty interesting. I bet it's neat to see when the bridge is raised. Have a wonderful trip and a great time at the wedding!

magda said...

My dear friend Rick
Interesting history about the bridge!
I'm so happy, that to like so much the Keukenhof!
Your born country is wonterful and in the next post, you see more Holland!!
Have a nice trip and nice to spend the wedding!
Have a nice day!

Unknown said...

Have a great trip, Rick, and have fun at the wedding!

What a great shot, and an interesting location! Also... I am LOVING your hibiscus header!

darlin said...

Interesting history about this bridge Rick, isn't it awesome to see running water again? Oh wait a second, you were near the ocean all winter... never mind! lol

I hope you have an amazingly wonderful time at the wedding. I'm looking forward to the photos! :-)

becky said...

Interesting history on the bridge, Rick! Have a great time at the wedding. My blogging has been sporadic too as I try to wrap up the semester at school. No worries. See ya next week!
:)

Anonymous said...

We don't often get the background on such places... great job & nice story! =)

Fábio Martins said...

I liked the perspective!

Marty said...

joli pont avec une histoire !!
joli weekend à toi
bisous de Mai

Betty Manousos said...

i love this shot, great angle!
interesting history on the bridge.

Have a great time at the weeding. Have fun!

Safe travels!

Betty

Marisa said...

Interestinn history, nice place.
Have a great weekend!

Saz said...

That's very interesting. And I love the photo, its gorgeous!

Michelle said...

It's always fun to hear the history behind things.

Enjoy your getaway!

Lisa said...

How interesting. I didnt know this and Im Canadian.. I had to laugh at Darleens comment. Too cute.
Nice shot with all the lines , textures and contrast.

Bitch said...

Very interesting about that bridge!!
And don't you worry about us..
We are still here!!
Come back safe!

Unknown said...

I think I may have been there with a group of friends houseboating many years ago.

Rick said...

Thank you Elizabeth. I believe this bridge rotates to one side. The wedding was quite nice - thanks.

Hi Magda - thank you, and also thank you for the Keukenhof photos - I shall be over to see more of them soon.

Hi Krista - so good to see you here again. Thanks for visiting, and your nice comments. I'll be coming round. soon. (thanks re: the hibiscus - tonight I replaced it with a trillium)

Thanks Darlene (actually there's no running water in the canal right now - it's still drained ;-) As for the wedding, I went camera-free so I could focus on the wedding and not on making photos (sorry). btw - it was very nice.

Rick said...

Hi Becky - thanks for coming by. I hope to come soon for a visit.

Thank you Tricia - the Rideau Canal is one of my favourite places to visit - chock full of history !

Thank you, Fábio !

Merci Marty - the weekend was très joli. I hope yours was too. I can now send warm spring bisous to you !

Rick said...

Thank you, Betty ! The wedding was fun - great couple (one of our nephews), the company was good, and the food was amazing ! ;-)

Grazie Minu. The weekend was wonderful and I hope yours was too ! Ciao. See you soon.

Thank you Saz - glad you enjoyed both.

I agree Michelle, and thank you - we had a great time.

Rick said...

Thank you, Lisa - I've been down to this area a few times and it's always fascinating because it is historic - part of the aftermath of the war of 1812.

Hi Monika - thanks for coming by; I'll be over for a visit soon ;-)

Hi Tim - it is a very popular place for people to make a tour by boat - very relaxing with lots to do and see.

Jeanne Frances Klaver said...

This photo is full of interesting lines and perspectives made even more complex by the reflection. I cannot stop looking at it; my wants to keep traveling the across, around, and through.

darlin said...

Good for you Rick, I think that it was an awesome choice to leave your camera behind. I've done this occasionally because I don't want to miss all of moments which really matter in life. An entire weekend though, I'm not sure about that one. I know that I'd feel like something was missing. Mind you I go to almost everything solo so often times my camera is my date. lol

Rick said...

Thanks Jeanne - glad you enjoyed it. It's a beautiful place for a stroll - so full of history !

I agree Darlene - sometimes just taking in the moment vs trying to capture it is rewarding on its own. Don't worry - I didn't go the entire weekend without, in fact, I went on a photo shoot with one of my daughters who's really getting into photography ! btw - I'll bet you never have fights with that date ;-)

darlin said...

Rick that's awesome that your daughter is getting into photography, she has an amazing teacher! And sometimes I fight with my date, when I don't know what I'm doing with it and it won't cooperate! lol Have a great night!

Teté M. Jorge said...

Ah... a pleasure to read your story... I always come here in search of beautiful pictures, great stories and a bit of knowledge. Here I always learn a little more.
A very special beijo.