Chambly Canal

Canad] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|go t] [[Quebec Genealogy|Quebec [[Image:Gotoarrow.png|go t] [[Chambly_Canal|Chambly Canal]]



Historical Background
The Chambly Canal along a part of the upper Richelieu Rive helps connect the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_River Saint Lawrence Rive in [[Quebec Genealogy|Quebec] to Lake Champlai in [[Vermont Genealogy|Vermon and [[New York Genealogy|New York]]. The canal and its locks allowed boats to bypass the Richelieu River rapids near Chambly and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Work began on this canal in 1831 and was completed in 1843. The canal from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Chambly is 12 miles (19 km) long.

The Richelieu Rive in [[Quebec Genealogy|Quebec] flows north from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Champlain Lake Champlai near the United States border about 106 miles (171 km) to Sorel-Tracy where it joins the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_River Saint Lawrence Rive.

Indians and French settlers used the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richelieu_River Richelieu Rive and recognized its strategic military importance as a probable invasion route. A series of forts were built in the 1600s and 1700s to help defend it.

The Chambly Canal was part of a network of canals, lakes and rivers connecting New York City to the Saint Lawrence Rive and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal Montréal. Freight such as lumber and coal could be shipped from the St. Lawrence River, up the Richelieu Rive and Chambly Canal to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Champlain Lake Champlai, and down the [[Champlain Canal] to the Hudson River to New York City. The Hudson River is also connected to the Erie Canal. The Chambly Canal was an important part of increasing Canadian-American trade into the 20th Century. After World War I (1914-1918) freight traffic declined, but has partially been replaced since with tourist pleasure cruises.

Route
The Chambly Canal is connected to the Richelieu Rive at the south end in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, [[Saint-Jean County, Quebec|Saint-Jean Count, and to the same river at the north end in Chambly, [[Chambly County, Quebec]].

The Richelieu Rive flows north out of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Champlain Lake Champlai in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont%C3%A9r%C3%A9gie Montérégi region in the far south of [[Quebec Genealogy|Quebec] as follows:


 * Lake Champlain (Clinton County, New York, and [[Grand Isle County, Vermont Genealogy|Grand Isl], and [[Franklin County, Vermont Genealogy|Frankli] counties in [[Vermont Genealogy|Vermon])
 * [[Missisquoi County, Quebec|Missisquo]
 * [[Saint-Jean County, Quebec|Saint-Jea] (now [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Haut-Richelieu_Regional_County_Municipality,_Quebec Le Haut-Richelie)
 * [[Iberville County, Quebec|Ibervill]
 * [[Rouville County, Quebec|Rouvill]
 * [[Chambly County, Quebec|Chambl]
 * [[Verchères County, Quebec|Verchère]
 * [[Saint-Hyacinthe County, Quebec|Saint-Hyacinth]
 * [[Richelieu County, Quebec|Richelie] (now Pierre-De Saurel (before 2009 Le Bas-Richelieu))
 * St. Lawrence River

Connecting Migration Routes. The Richelieu River and Chambly Canal are linked to other migration routes at each end. The migration pathways connected at the south end included:


 * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Champlain Lake Champlai with connections to:
 * Champlain Canal 1823 [[Image:Champlain map.png|right|500px]]
 * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River Hudson Rive
 * Erie Canal 1825
 * the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean Atlantic Ocea
 * and several trails out of Albany and New York City

The migration pathways connected at the north end included:


 * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lawrence_River Saint Lawrence Rive
 * Halifax Road or Grand Communication Route

Also, the Chambly Canal and Richelieu River run parallel to part of the Lake Champlain Trail from Albany, New York to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec.

Settlers and Records
The earliest European settlers in the Richelieu River area were French. Irish laborers were used to build the Chambly Canal by hand.

No complete list of settlers who used the Richelieu River - Chambly Canal is known to exist. Nevertheless, local and county histories along that route may reveal pioneer settlers who arrived after 1843 and therefore who were the most likely candidates to have traveled the Richelieu River - Chambly Canal.