Boating season on the Rideau Canal begins Friday

A boat docked along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. July 2024. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)

Parks Canada has announced that the 2025 boating season on the Rideau Canal begins this Friday.

This year marks the 194th navigation season on the canal and the 100th anniversary of the canal’s designation as a National Historic Site of Canada, Parks Canada said in a news release Monday.

The boating season is scheduled to end Thanksgiving weekend.

“As we prepare for opening of navigation, activities on or near the water and around locks and dams could be hazardous and are not recommended at this time,” Parks Canada says.

Due to the demolition of the LaSalle Causeway’s old bascule bridge last year, there is only limited access to and from the St. Lawrence River near Kingston because a temporary modular bridge is in place, which must be removed to allow vessels requiring more than 16’ vertical clearance to pass.

Presently, only two marine access dates have been confirmed — May 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The full schedule for June through October has yet to be announced.

Here are the hours of operation for the Rideau Canal this year:

May 16 – June 19: Mon-Thurs 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Fri-Sun and Victoria Day (May 19) 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

June 20 – Sept 1: Mon-Thurs 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Fri-Sun and holidays 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sept 2 – Oct 13: Mon-Fri 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Sat-Sun and Thanksgiving (Oct 13) 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.