I’m passionate about the history, heritage and culture of the Rideau Corridor – especially the people who have made it what it is. For example, I’ve written two books about the fishing guides and guiding on the Rideau – from Samuel de Champlain in the 1600’s up to the present. Right now I’m working on another book about the men and women who worked on the canal from its opening in 1832. I have a lot of names and stories, but am looking for more. Anything from about 1920 to the present is where there are a lot of holes in the lists. My interest is also on the carpenters, masons, stonecutters, quarrymen, blacksmiths, etc., who worked on the repair and reconstruction jobs over the years. If you can help, let me know. Much appreciated. Ed
Welcome to the world of Blog! This is a great start. I will see if I can find some interesting pictures for you.
Regards
Cheryl
Hi Ed – good start – just testing your comments section with a suggestion to title each blog subject with something directly tied to the blog post itself – so perhaps from “Hello World” to “Workers on the Rideau Canal” (or some such, to relate your post to other Rideau related posts and make it easier for people to find your query)
Ken:
Good comment. Still feeling my way.
Cheryl:
I’m always up for trying some new way to whip up interest ( I don’t hope for enthusiasm) for the good ole Rideau Corridor.
My great great great grandfather, George Hegarty (Hagarty, Higerty), was a lock labourer at the Ottawa Locks from June 20, 1873 until his death in 1887. I am hoping to receive your book for Father’s Day in order to learn more about what life as a lock labourer entailed. I am proud to know that my ancestor was involved with the locks. He was a Catholic from a rural area in Co Derry, northern Ireland. His son immigrated to Ottawa in 1867 and George and his wife came sometime between ’71 and ’73. Thank you,
Will:
Good to hear from you. I do have your g-g-g-grandfather, George Hegarty, listed in the names for the Ottawa Locks. I see that I originally had him there from 1884 to 1887, but there is a pencilled note in my copy (shows that I came across later information) that indicates that he started in 1873, as you said. I also have a remark that he also worked at Stewarton Bridge as a bridgetender.
Incidentally, where are you located? I could suggest book stores that carry the book to facilitate someone giving it as a gift.
My email address is edbebee@sympatico.ca
Hello, wow and thank you. I did not know the bit about being a bridgetender. Amazing. It always amazes me when I am able to find out a little something more about something that took place so long ago. I always think, that’s it, there is no more now but then something else turns up.
Do I understand correctly that I can get your book at Chapters in the Market? I may pop over at lunch as it’s a nice day for a walk.
My sources for George on the canal are likely the same as yours but I attach them to this message just in case.
Can I please ask, how did you find out that George worked as a bridgetender? I will now be researching this bridge to learn more. George lived on Lewis Street when he died in 1887. He and his wife Rose are buried in unmarked graves at Notre Dame. I was just over in northern Ireland last September to see for the first time where they came from and the family burying ground there.
Thank you!
Will
A little more on the Stewarton Bridge. This was a Canada Atlantic Railway swing bridge located where the Queensway is now. Not the same as Pretoria Bridge. You’ll remember you informed me that my great-great-great-grandfather, George Hegarty, worked as a bridge tender of Stewarton Bridge. Another interesting connection is that his grandson, Charles Higgerty, worked as a freight agent for the Canada Atlantic Railway. Source: http://www.railways.incanada.net/circle/findings2.htm#CARRideauCanal 6.3 CAR Rideau Canal drawbridge The original drawbridge over the Rideau Canal was built around March 1882 just before the opening of the Canada Atlantic Railway into Ottawa. Authority for the canal crossing was given by Order in Council PC 1882-414 of 6 March 1882 which: Approves application by the Canada Atlantic Ry. for authority to cross the Rideau Canal by means of a swing bridge to be constructed at a point near the City of Ottawa, Stewarton shown on a plan submitted.
The Chief Engineer of Government Railways reported “there seems to be no objection to allow a railway crossing at the place mentioned provided the approach to the swing bridge on the Stewarton side is made either of open work or has openings in it so as will allow the water to flow freely and that there shall be no descending grade in the immediate vicinity of the bridge and leading to it and greater than 20 feet to the mile. Also that there shall be proper rest piers for the bridge when open and that these piers shall have guards and the whole as well as the superstructure of the bridge shall correspond to the centre line of the Canal as marked out by the officer in charge of the Canal, openings for navigable channel on side of centre pier for swing bridge to be not less than 40 feet in width.”
Authority was given subject to the above conditions. The original bridge is shown in the following pictures:
– just after construction in September 1882 – PA-12201
– in a June 1902 picture from the Topley collection in the National Archives, PA-23212
– about 1910-15 in PA-9936
(PA-131875, from the Ballantyne collection is not a picture of the railway bridge but the foot and buggy bridge that was located to the north of the railway bridge). On 12 August 1891 CAR locomotive No. 33 fell into the canal. Two photos in the Public Archives depict this. PA-127265 shows the preparations for raising the locomotive and PA-127267 shows a partially submerged CAR locomotive. This is the Ottawa Citizen account: A disastrous accident, which fortunately did not result in loss of life, occurred early yesterday morning at the C.A.R. depot. An engine and three cars was in readiness to shunt on to a load of cars for the east and Fireman Page, without waiting for the engineer, started the engine and three cars for the swing bridge over the canal to shunt back. At the same time, the tug Minnie Bell whistled for the bridge to open and Bridgemaster Wallace opened the bridge and signalled the approaching train. Fireman Page seems not to have heard either the tug’s whistle, the bridgemaster’s shouts or to have seen the semaphore on the bridge until, on the verge of the opening, when he, too late, reversed his engine. The train, however, had no chance to stop and the engine, tender and half the first car disappeared into the canal. At once a rush was made to the spot, and no one expected to see Fireman Page alive. He, however, had a miraculous escape, as he was pitched from the car and swam ashore suffering only slight shock. The tug Minnie Bell was sufficiently far off to see the danger and slow up, and thus escape running under the train. The blame of the accident rests with the fireman, who in the first place assumed the responsibility of starting the locomotive without the engineer, and secondly, had no occasion to run as far as the bridge to shunt his cars. He has only been in the employ of the company about two years, and reported yesterday that he was suffering too much from chills and shock to attend the investigation.
The bridge was not damaged and traffic was not impeded. The engine, no 33, was not damaged, but as it weighs 70 tons, the work of raising it will be an arduous and expensive one, and the loss to the company will be in the neighbourhood of $1,000. See The Rideau Canal AccidentImages from LAC:(I am not 100% sure this is the Stewarton Bridge.)Bridge over Rideau Canal http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3392565&rec_nbr_list=3392565,3358914,3358913,3300918,3326182,3206984,3358750,3326190 Getting ready to raise the submerged [Canada Atlantic Railway] Locomotive, [Swing bridge at point where the present Queensway crosses the Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Ont.], Sept. 1891. http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3265940&rec_nbr_list=3358916,3265225,3317482,3265940,3265942 The same [Canada Atlantic Railway locomotive] partly out of the water [Swing Bridge at point where the present Queensway crosses the Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Ont.] Sept. 1891. http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=3265942&rec_nbr_list=3358916,3265225,3317482,3265940,3265942