The Last Ship

In the fall of 1958, the locals watched helplessly as the last ship passed through the canal. Of the 132 employees working on the canal at the time, many lost their jobs, some took early retirement, and about sixty were reassigned to the new St. Lawrence Seaway or the Lachine Canal.

However, a few employees remained temporarily to assist with the gradual closure and dismantling of the canal’s infrastructures.

The Redwood is the last vessel to travel the Soulanges Canal at the end of autumn 1958, Pointe-des-Cascades, 1958
Source: © Collection of the Société de recherches historiques de Pointe-des-Cascades

Some of the equipment was transferred to the Lachine, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, and Chambly canals. In 1960, authorities removed the swing bridges, replacing them with stone jetties. To complete this operation, the canal was drained. However, as had happened during its initial construction 60 years earlier, the absence of water pressure caused landslides.

The decision was made to refill the canal to protect its banks. Five years later, at the request of the federal government, ownership of the canal and its hydroelectric plant was transferred to the Government of Quebec.

The closure of the Soulanges Canal will have a significant impact on the local economy and on the populations of the riverside municipalities. Many of them will take years to recover from this upheaval and develop viable strategies for the well-being of their communities.

The eastern entrance lighthouse of the Soulanges Canal, Pointe-des-Cascades, circa 1950
Source: © Collection of François Leroux

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.