Fort Frances Canal 1878

Constructed 1875-78, during Alexander Mackenzie's administration as part of a larger project intended to improve communications with the West, the Fort Frances Canal provided unbroken communication between Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods. In conjunction with land and water stretches of the "Dawson Road" between Lake Shebandowan and Lake of the Woods, it provided temporary connection with completed sections of the C.P.R. The importance of the canal diminished when the C.P.R. route was altered to follow a more northerly direction. The nearby waterway facilitated steamship navigation until 1908, when it was incorporated into the adjacent dam and power development.