Discovering the seven Vaudreuil-Soulanges wonders: Canal de Soulanges

Voters in Les 7 merveilles de Vaudreuil-Soulanges contest selected the Soulanges Canal bicycle path as the best natural zone in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, among a list of impressive contenders.

The 23 kilometre long Soulanges Canal links Lake St. François to Lake St. Louis and borders most of the Soulanges Canal bicycle path.

The canal was opened in 1899 as a bypass for boats needing to avoid a portion of the St. Lawrence River rapids between the Atlantic and the Great Lakes. Cargo ships used the canal for 60 years before it was closed in1959 when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened.

Efforts are underway to restore the canal’s nine bridges and five locks and open the waterway to tall ships, mega yachts and cruise liners.

And while avid cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts may be well informed about the picturesque Soulanges Canal bicycle path, others that have yet to discover the local jewel should dust off their bicycles and check it out.

The canal’s declining bridges and locks are a major scenic draw for those cycling the bike path.

Parts of the almost 35 kilometre long linear paved surface which is open free-of-charge to riders of all ages, are a little less 20 years old. Newer sections have been added in the past 8 to 10 years.

Depending on your point of view, the path begins (or ends) at parc des Ancres in Pointe-des-Cascades, and swathes a path through Les Cèdres, Coteau-du-Lac, Les Coteaux, Saint-Zotique and Rivière-Beaudette.

Cyclists, and those who roller blade, jog and walk along the path are treated to the narrow, shimmering water surfaces of the now unused Soulanges Canal on one side, and often sunflower filled fields that may play host to cows, goats and other animals at various points along the route on the other. The path also meanders through forests and swamps and borders many rural backyards. Picnic tables are also interspersed along the route.

A rider traveling close to 20 km/hr can cycle the entire path in close four hours.

Tourism Montérégie estimates that 150,000 cyclists use the trail each year.

Géraldine Quesnel, the mayor of Les Cèdres who heads up a committee of two representatives each from the six towns crossed by the path, says an independent company maintains the path for the committee.

Quesnel noted that much of the path was repaved last year, with more work to be done this year thanks to provincial and MRC funding.

History buffs may enjoy visiting several places of interest along the canal. More than 75 anchors retrieved from lakes St. Louis and St. François – some dating to the 18th century, weighing close to 15 tons - are displayed at parc des Ancres in Pointe-des-Cascades.

Visitors can take a free guided tour to learn more about the many anchors on display inside and outside of the museum.

Le Petit Pouvoir, a whimsical redbrick circular building in Les Cèdres is a former hydroelectric structure located off the path that still draws a lot of attention from visitors.

Also of note is the Coteau-du-Lac National Historical Site, located less than 1 kilometre from the path.

For more information on the Soulanges Canal go to www.tourisme-monteregie.qc.ca, or call 1 866-469-0069.