Construction of the Lachine Canal, which began in 1821, played a pivotal role in the industrial development of Montreal and all of Canada. The previously insurmountable Lachine Rapids explain Montreal's very existence. With the canal, ships could then bypass the rapids and reach the Great Lakes. This fully illustrated album is indispensable for those interested in inland navigation and industrial history.

Yvon Desloges and Alain Gelly hold history degrees from Université Laval. Both are historians with Parks Canada and have studied the Lachine Canal for years.

Desloges Yvon's profile page

Allain Gelly's profile page

Donald Kellough's profile page

If there is a right way to explore a critical piece of urban space in book form, this is it. Yvon Desloges and Alain Gelly, both historians with Parks Canada, have created an ideal lens through which to observe and learn about the Lachine Canal, which is both a distinctive thoroughfare in south-western Montreal and the cradle of modern commerce and industry for the entire country... The content is rich and meticulously constructed, but it doesn't come across like required required reading. -- Rod MacLeod, Quebec Heritage News