History of Beveridges lockstation
Rideau Canal National Historic Site
Specifications of the lockstation
Two detached locks, 485 m (1,590 feet) apart. Lower Beveridges has a lift of 3.6 m (12 feet) and Upper Beveridges has a lift of 3.3 m (10.9 feet). They form the lower entrance to the Tay Canal.The Construction of the lockstation
The construction of a lockstation at Beveridges Bay, connecting the Tay River and the Rideau River, was not part of the original plan for the Rideau Canal. The project was started in 1885 as a result of considerable pressure on the federal government from merchants and manufacturers in the Perth area and the local MP, John G. Haggart Jr. The locks were completed in 1887 and dredging to deepen the channel into Perth was completed in 1891. The locks were built to the same design as the 1830s Rideau locks. The dredged route of this canal is known as the Second Tay Canal.In 1834, the Tay Navigation Company opened the first Tay Canal, a shallower canal with smaller locks, which followed the meandering route of the original Tay River, from its mouth south of Port Elmsley to the Town of Perth. It was not well maintained and was shut down in 1865.
Structures of the lockstation
Engineering Structures: A 2 km (1.25 mile) long artificial channel, known as the Beveridge cut, was dredged to connect Beveridge Bay of Lower Rideau Lake to the Tay River. Two locks were built at the south end of this channel. The route along the Tay River from the Beveridge cut to the Perth basin was extensively dredged with several of the river meanders cut off with a straight dredge channel.Dam: As part of the 1880s work, a dam and waste weir were built across the Tay River.
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