The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
THE GEORGIAN BAY CANAL.
Air Limo from the 500 to Montreal, Twenty
Foot Deep. to Cost Fifty Million Dollars.

Air Limo from the 500 to Montreal, Twenty
Foot Deep. to Cost Fifty Million Dollars.
The project to connect Georgian Bay. east OF
Lake Huron. with the Ottawa River by a canal
utilizing the French River, Lake Nipissing
and the Mattawa River. has been in the air for
a long time. Although it has been exhaust
lively worked out on paper no noteworthy steps
have been taken until this month to realize
the project.
The Canadian Government has already ex-
pended nearly 500. 100000 in canals. 1t has
bettcrments under way that will cost some
millions more. and it has shown not the slight
est inclination to assume an additional burden
OF $50 100000 which. lit Is estimated. n twenty
foot canal from Georgian Bay will cost. 1t has
been left. therefore. to private enterprise to set
about the. work OF raising money forthe project
ganized in London to build the canal within
three years and to develop the mineral. wood
P e. wa and T Tfher inauf sorSer 9l94 Br fhs To Minis ter
Iany' and Dir. McIver "f the cunard tine. Lord
named as members q the syndicate or associ-
ated with the technical features Of the, enter
tnainscsc of the scheme and Efforts are making to
SECURE an imperial subsidy for It,,
vantages for a canal from the lakes tothe lower
SUPERIOR to Montreal the waterway would be
found the rivers and lakes which 1t Is intended
to utilize the easiest line Of access to the far in
terror. and for many years II formed the line OF
pany's posts in the Far West and Montreal, Be
tween. the 500 canals. and. the mouth Of the
French. River. 100 miles. the channel is deep
and wide: Between the mouth OF the French
River and deep water In the Ottawa; l2O miles.
cont along the water parting. east OF Lake Nj
pissing. between the Ottawa Basin and that
Of the. Great Lakes. Here. channels ag;
gIsSatins thirtyifye miles IN Iehnsth and
sary. The French River needs considerable
Improvement. including one short cutting.
NipissinR and the other two lakes east OF e
afford deep water. and most OF the money to
to deepening the small tributary east OF Nipis-
sing that leads to the Ottawa;
BY far the greater cost OF the entire project
will be confined TO the rock cuttings across the
wator parting and the canalization Of the small
river east Of It. In the Ottawa q few rapids
and sawdust banks will require treatment. but
otherwise the work Is completed when that
great river is reached.
II this project is carried out it will OF course
be the shortest water route between Lake Su-
perlor and the sea. ana may he the outlet for
an important quantity OF wheat. Tho railroad
completed last year between Ottawa and Parry
Sound. on Georgian Bay. parallels the proposed
line OF the canal Oh the south.
The enterprise is not, at oil likely to usher in
the long-discnssed highway for ocean steam
waterway would hardly come within the scope
of private enterprise. The plans most dis-
cussed have related to a l4;foot waterway.
which would suffice for "whaleback" .barges
for lake steamers. Tho cost Of u 20-foot canal
has been est mated to be more than double
that OF the shallower canal. through. which, it
Is said. oyer 25,OOO.OOO tons OF freight might
be moved in the season OF navigation. about
ol3 DAYS.