Kirkfield Lift Lock Repairs Contracted; Projected Completion For This Year's Navigation Season

Parks Canada has awarded a contract for the Kirkfield Lift Lock to undergo repairs since suffering a mechanical failure on Sept. 2 that resulted in its closure for the rest of 2022.

The Kirkfield Lift Lock is located a few kilometres north of the Village of Kirkfield. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.

The Lift Lock is scheduled to be fully operational by the beginning of this year’s navigation season according to Parks Canada.

The scope of work will include: 

• Repairs to the structural, mechanical and electrical components.

• System improvements to increase safety controls and access improvements to critical system components.

• Backup system improvements to minimize impacts on future maintenance activities.

The Kirkfield Lift Lock is the second-highest hydraulic lift lock in the world with a lift of 15 metres (49 ft). The Kirkfield lock is at the highest point along the waterway at 256.20 m (840.5 ft.) above sea level.

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Warsaw Road Swing Bridge Temporarily Closed For Two Weeks Beginning Nov. 7

The Warsaw Road Swing Bridge under advisement of Parks Canada is closed from Nov. 7 at 9 a.m. to Nov. 18 at 2 p.m., announced on Thursday.

File Photo.

The bridge is located on Parkhill Road East between Armour Road and Television Road.

The closure is for completing repairs to the bridge’s metal grating deck. Traffic control measures and detour routes will be in place during the bridge’s closure.

Pedestrians and cyclists using the west pathway along the canal — between Parkhill Road East and Woodbine Avenue — may have occasional interruptions the week before and after construction for site preparation and teardown. This work will not impact traffic flow on Parkhill Road according to Parks Canada.

The sidewalk on the bridge will be accessible except for roughly two days at the start and end of the closure to remove and reinstall the grating panels.

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Construction At Scott Mills Damn Nearing Completion

The project to replace the Scotts Mills Dam at Lock 19 in Peterborough has reached a significant milestone: all work on the new dam below the waterline is now complete.

Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.

The remaining work includes the placement of decking and railings on the dam, log lifter rails on the remaining sluices, and wall work on the east bank of the river adjacent to the dam.

Following removal of the cofferdams and trestle bridge, grading and landscaping of the east access and construction laydown area will occur.

The remaining construction activities will involve using a vibration attachment to remove steel piles from the existing cofferdam and bridge structure and are expected to continue for the next few months. T

he grading and landscaping will involve large equipment movement on the east bank. These activities will generate higher levels of noise than experienced in recent months.

A reminder that heavy noise-generating activities will be limited to the following times:

• Monday – Saturday: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

• Sunday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Trent-Severn Waterway Partially Closed Due to High Water Levels and Flows This Friday

Parks Canada is partially closing navigation of the Trent-Severn Waterway due to high water levels and flows starting Friday until further notice.

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Over the past 15 days, Trent-Severn’s watersheds have received significant amounts of precipitation, equal to no more than double the normal amount expected. Parks Canada advises anyone to exercise extreme caution near the water.

The list of stations that are open and closed during the partial closure occurring on Friday. Updates are provided regularly. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.

This partial closure is meant to protect boater safety and help to prevent shoreline erosion and property damage experienced by local residents and businesses according to Parks Canada. They recommended all boaters lower their speeds and watch their wake.

Residents around Lock 19 – Scotts Mills will see a controlled breach of the construction site at the dam over the weekend to aid in the movement of water down the Otonabee River. The breach is not a danger to public safety.

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High Water On the Severn, Trent and Otonabee Rivers Warns Parks Canada

Expect higher-than-normal water levels and flows on the Severn, Trent and Otonabee Rivers during navigation hours until further notice from Parks Canada announced on Thursday night.

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Flows will increase outside of navigation hours at Lock 1 - Trenton to Lock 27 – Young’s Point as of Thursday until further notice. These flows are considered non-navigable according to Parks Canada.

The increased flows overnight are the result of water management dam adjustments to address the higher than normal water levels caused by the recent precipitation.

Over the past week, the watersheds have received 50 - 100 mm of rain which significantly exceeds the normal precipitation in June. The last 25 days have seen precipitation values in excess of 50-75 per cent above normal.

Residents and visitors should exercise extreme caution around and on the water.

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Parks Canada Seeks Input On New Draft Management Plan For Trent-Severn Waterway And Lift Lock National Historic Sites

Parks Canada is currently seeking feedback on a new Draft Management Plan for the Trent-Severn Waterway and Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Sites.

Photo courtesy of Parks Canada

Until June 30, Parks Canada is asking the public to read their Draft Management Plan and share their feedback.

Online public info sessions are being held May 31 and June 2 from 7 - 9 p.m. in English. They will be held June 7 and 9 from 7 - 9 p.m. in French.

During these sessions representatives for Parks Canada will discuss elements of the draft management plan and then open the floor to participant comments and questions.

The management plan is a strategic guide for future management of a national historic site. It is required by legislation, guided by Indigenous and public consultation, approved by the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and tabled in Parliament.

Management plans are based on a long-term vision, with clear direction for a 10-year period, including measurable objectives and targets to achieve results. Parks Canada’s management plan guides management decisions and actions at a heritage place, and serves as a key public accountability document for that place.

More details on the management planning process can be found at the following link: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/info/plan/2022-plan-consultation

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Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre Announces New Network To Share Best Conservation Practices With Public

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) has announced the creation of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Network, a new initiative that will support knowledge gathering and sharing of best conservation practices with experts, and the public, in order to facilitate turtle protection work throughout the province.

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The creation of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Network is being supported by Parks Canada through a recently signed three-year contribution agreement with the OTCC.

The creation of an Ontario Turtle Conservation Network will facilitate connections with other organizations across the province and help further engage the public in the work taking place at Parks Canada administered places.

With approximately 100 individual organizations working across the province to help protect turtles, the creation of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Network will help bring these organizations together with an internal platform for conservation professionals to collaborate and share knowledge and research actions and results.

“We are delighted to be working with Parks Canada on this new initiative, that will help connect turtle conservationists across the province, and facilitate collaboration and exchange of ideas,” said Dr. Sue Carstairs, Executive & Medical Director, Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. “We are very appreciative of their support, that made this project possible.”

Members of the public can access the Ontario Turtle Conservation Network here. Organizations or individuals in Ontario working on turtle conservation that are interested in joining the internal network for conservation professionals can request access by contacting: otcn@ontarioturtle.ca.

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Trent Severn Lockage And Mooring Permits On Sale Until March 31

Parks Canada is offering discounted prices to boaters that purchase their lockage and mooring permits before March 31.

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Those that wish to travel through the Trent Severn Waterway this year must purchase a 2022 Lockage and/or Mooring Permit.

Permits are priced dependent on the footage of the boat.

A lockage and mooring package, which Includes one seasonal lockage and one seasonal mooring permit for the same boat will cost $17 per foot. If purchased after March 31 it will cost $20 per foot.

A seasonal lockage permit can be purchased for $7.60 per foot until March 31, $9.50 per foot after that. A seasonal lockage permit for a canoe or kayak is available for $4.75 per foot until March 31, or $9.50 after that.

To purchase permits visit ParksCanada.ca.

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Parks Canada Delayed Season Opening Due To Provincial Measures

Parks Canada has delayed the launch of most visitor services including camping until at least June 2, 2021 in a press release announced Wednesday.

The Peterborough Lift Lock built in 1904 was the largest structure built in the world with unreinforced concrete. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

The decision was made to align with measures introduced by the Province of Ontario to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site is one of several places affected by the delay.

The following services and facilities on the Trent-Severn Waterway will remain closed to visitors until at least June 2, 2021:

• Lockage and overnight mooring; and

• All camping; oTENTiks, Ôasis, and the Rosedale cabin.

The Lift Lock was designed by civil and mechanical engineer Richard Birdsall Rogers. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

All Parks Canada reservations impacted by this delayed opening will be automatically cancelled and refunded in full. Visitors do not have to do anything to cancel their reservation.

Parks Canada is asking Canadians to observe travel restrictions, to respect the guidance of public health experts and all public health restrictions and to make every effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep one another safe.

The Parks Canada website provides detailed information on what locations are open, what visitors can expect, how to prepare for a visit and what services may be available. Visitors should check pc.gc.ca before they travel.

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Canadian Canoe Museum Terminates Lease With Parks Canada, Search For New Museum Site Begins

A search for a new museum has begun as the Canadian Canoe Museum has announced today it has terminated its lease agreement with Parks Canada for the land located alongside the Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway at 353 Hunter Street East, the place where the new canoe museum was to be built.

As announced in May of this year, this location, owned by Parks Canada, was found to contain an industrial solvent, the chemical compound trichloroethylene (TCE) in addition to a variety of other chemicals. This, together with the costs associated with clearing the contamination, the resulting unavoidable project delays and inevitable rising costs have rendered the site no longer viable for the new museum build.

“The Canadian Canoe Museum and Parks Canada have worked together to reach an amicable dissolution to the Lift Lock lease agreement at no additional punitive cost to the museum,” says Carolyn Hyslop, executive director, The Canadian Canoe Museum, in a media release.

Rendering of where location was going to be.

The museum is now is engaged in a proactive site selection process and is reviewing multiple alternative sites, located in Peterborough, to determine where it will construct its new museum. Feasibility studies and environmental assessments will be conducted before selecting the new site for the building of a new canoe museum. The project is expected to be shovel-ready by the end of 2021.

“CCM is profoundly grateful to those who have supported our original build project,” says Hyslop. “We had a beautiful, award-winning design that was perfectly suited for the Lift Lock location that is regretfully utterly non-transferable to another location.

“The Canadian Canoe Museum looks forward to delivering on the commitments to its current donors and funding partners who have expressed continued strong support for the new project to come as it creates a vibrant cultural attraction that welcomes visitors to walk into the museum through the front door and paddle out the back door,” adds Hyslop.

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