Yesterday we took the dogs to the canal for a walk. In the lock was a large sailboat. It had two masts and a lot of rope. We chatted with a young woman who seemed to have an Australian accent. They were heading next to Newfoundland, than Labrador, then on to Greenland, Iceland and then on to Europe. We saw the lock open and the boat go through. As the boat went up the canal the swing bridge opened to let the boat through. It took only about a half an hour for the transition. We have been coming here for over 45 years and this is the first time we have seen this. I chatted with the lockmaster and was surprised to learn that there is no charge to go through the lock.
The St Peters lock is the only one of its kind in Canada. Most locks are on rivers and have an up stream and a down stream, so the lock only goes one way. This lock has to adjust to different levels of water in both directions. The ocean rises and falls with the tide, so for half the day it is higher than the the lake, then for the other half it is lower. For this reason the lock has two sets of gates at each end, one set at each end opens depending on which end the water is higher.
More about the swing bridge over the canal. It was originally a railroad bridge in Ontario and was transported here. It is a one lane bridge. A red and green light controls the traffic across the bridge. We can see the light from our living room. It is the only traffic light between Port Hawksbury and Sydney-a distance of about 125 km, we are quite pleased to be able to see it.
However, a new, two lane bridge is being built to replace it. I find it amazing that a new swing bridge can be built next to the old swing bridge without a significant disruption in traffic flow.
Here is a link to further information on the bridge:
St. Peters Canal & Bridge
Paul
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