The completed canal was 16 Km. While, fortunately, the Rideau Canal was never tested in war, it played a significant role in the commercial life of eastern Ontario through the 19th and well into the 20th century. It facilitated resource extraction and export, agricultural development and industrial centres along the corridor and it played an important role in the growth of the City of Ottawa, the nation's capital. By the turn of the century recreational activities along the canal began to assume considerable economic importance. By the 1960s, all commercial traffic was gone and the Rideau had become a recreational waterway and magnet for sports enthusiasts and cottagers from all over eastern North America.
Many significant features remain from the early days.
Most original engineering structures are not only in place but are operational, and over half of the military buildings survive. Nearly all lockstation landscapes display their original layout and configuration and many retain their mid 19th century character, thanks in part to Parks Canada which manages the canal for the protection of the heritage values that make it so special. The construction of the canal and the opening of through navigation held far-reaching implications for the natural and human history of the corridor. The Rideau Waterway is an historic transportation route linking together diverse natural and cultural elements along its length and in doing so links the past to the present. The Rideau Canal has been recognized as a national historic site on several occasions.