FR

The First Ships

Until the early 20th century, most of the boats sailing on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes were two- or three-masted sailing ships, although the first steamboats appeared around 1840. 


Shipowners continued to favor barges pulled by tow cables or tugboats for transporting various goods. Thus, when the Soulanges Canal opened, the first boats to use it were tugboats.

Hired by the canal administration to help barges navigate the canal and its locks, many of these tugboats are owned by local residents.

The tugboat McRae, one of the first vessels to travel the Soulanges Canal at Lock No. 3 in Pointe-des-Cascades (1899)
Source: © Vaudreuil-Soulanges Archives Center, Pierre Clément Collection, P020-N300-042

The recent improvements to the canal network contributed to the gradual disappearance of sailing ships and barges, whose design and operation were poorly suited to the new structures.


Over time, shipping companies modernized and adopted a new type of vessel specifically designed for these new canals.

Canallers waiting to enter the canal, circa 1939
Source: © Collection of Luke De Stéphano
This project was carried out as part of the cultural development agreement (2024) between the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCC) and the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges (MRCVS). It is also made possible through the support of the MRCVS and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) under the 'Signature Innovation' component of the Regions and Rurality Fund.