A Faster Passage and Locking System
Ships navigating the Soulanges Canal took approximately 3.5 hours to cover the 23.4-kilometer distance—an impressive improvement compared to the 8 hours required to transit the Beauharnois Canal.
This new canal includes five locks that allow boats to navigate the 24-meter difference in elevation between Lake Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-François. Three of these locks are located in the first two kilometers of the canal at Pointe-des-Cascades, the lower entry point providing access to Lake Saint-Louis.
After that, it is approximately 4 kilometers to the fourth lock, located at Les Cèdres. The fifth and final lock is 16.8 kilometers further on, at Coteau-Landing (Les Coteaux), before reaching the head of the canal and finally arriving at Lake Saint-François.
The canal’s locks were impressive.
Each lock is 85.3 meters long, 13.7 meters wide, and 4.3 meters deep. They have a lift of 7.2 meters, allowing large ships to pass through. Thanks to high-performance valves, the locks fill with water in six minutes while significantly reducing the turbulence caused by the rapid inflow of water.
The lock gates are made of Douglas fir from British Columbia and weigh 95 tons (96,524 kilograms) each. Fully suspended, they close in one minute in a synchronized movement, preventing any problems with watertightness and overlap.
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