km 16

Whether aboard as a privileged passenger or admired from the dock, the Rapids Prince left everyone in awe. Built in 1911, it offered the exclusive experience to passengers the descent or ‘jumping’ of the rapids of the St. Lawrence River, from Prescott (Ontario) to Montreal.

It regularly navigated the Soulanges Canal to go up the river toward Ontario or when the river's water level was too low to allow the ‘jumping’ of the rapids. To carry out this expedition, the more-than-1,000-ton vessel required highly experienced pilots with exceptional navigational skills.

It was at the end of the summer of 1949 that the Rapids Prince made its final descent of the river's rapids, with Captain Joseph-Édouard Ouellet (1886-1963) at the helm.