The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada is one of 167 national historic sites operated by Parks Canada whose mandate is to protect and present significant examples of our nation’s heritage. Completed in 1895, the Sault Ste. Marie Canal was the longest lock in the world when it opened and the first to be electrically operated. The construction of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal marked the completion of an all-Canadian waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Superior. A recreational lock was built inside the historic lock and opened to navigation in 1998. The site is home to the world’s last remaining Emergency Swing Dam which was constructed in 1896. A green space in the heart of the city, the Sault Ste. Marie Canal features 2.2 kilometres of nature trails with access to the St. Mary’s Rapids. Parks Canada proudly protects and presents this national treasure as an important part of Canada’s heritage.

The Powerhouse – Reopening in 2013

The Powerhouse is a nationally significant cultural resource and a Classified Federal Heritage Building at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site for its surviving forms, fabric and function, most of which is intact as well as for the surviving equipment and engineering works associated with hydroelectric generation and operation/maintenance of the canal. The Sault Ste. Marie Canal was the first canal in the world to operate using electricity and it was inside the Powerhouse that this electricity was generated.

The operation was completely self-sufficient; designed to draw water from the upper reaches of the canal through an underground pipe to a penstock storage which fed turbines on the ground floor of the Powerhouse. The building was constructed in a hillside to take advantage of the natural slope, allowing water to flow into the penstock using the force of gravity. Turbines on the ground floor are connected to large pulleys, and leather belts over 12 inches wide, run up through the ceiling to another bank of pulleys on the second floor. Additional belts once connected these pulleys to generators which produced the electricity to operate the gates and valves of the lock as well as all interior and exterior lighting on site. The Sault Ste. Marie Canal generated its own electricity until 1942 when a decision was made to begin purchasing power from nearby Great Lakes Power (now Brookfield Power).

The Powerhouse remains largely intact and includes a turbine dating from 1911, original pulleys, belts and gears and associated equipment used for unwatering the lock. In the 1960s, public washrooms were added to the third floor of the Powerhouse eliminating the third floor gallery original to the building. Desire to remove this inappropriate intervention, coupled with the potential for leakage from plumbing on the third floor, led to a decision to construct new washrooms in an alternate location and the third floor washrooms were de-commissioned in 2012. An investigation during lock repairs in 2010 resulted in alleviating some issues relating to water seepage into the building; however, corroding steel beams raised concerns regarding the structural stability in some areas and the building was closed to the public until the problems were resolved. Work to address structural issues took place in 2012 and as a result, all affected beams were repaired or replaced, and existing beams were refurbished and painted.

This conservation work is a significant step in returning the building to its original layout and has resulted in the reopening of this historic structure to the public. The Sault Ste. Marie Canal’s Visitor Centre has been relocated to the third floor of the Powerhouse and visitors will be able to tour the building to learn about the important role it played in the operation of the canal. A federally recognized building, the Powerhouse stands as a testament to Canadian engineering ingenuity and represents a part of our nation’s heritage.

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News Release associated with this Backgrounder.

Sault Ste. Marie Canal’s Iconic Powerhouse Reopens