Peterborough Lift Lock Cruise: Best Trent Severn Waterway Attraction, Hands Down

Let’s start this by saying that I have no affiliation with the Peterborough Lift Lock Cruise. This is an unsolicited article. My opinion is not financially swayed in any way. This tour in Peterborough, Ontario is the real deal and is probably the best bang for your buck in the area between Toronto and Ottawa.

Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Locks

I have spent a lot of time in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario over the years. However, my time in the city of Peterborough was usually limited to the non-summer months. I took a number of harrowing drives in the driving snow from Lindsay to see the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League play hockey. This was back in the day when the now retired Jamie Langenbrunner was a budding junior star.

Yet, 2014 was the first time I’d seen the world famous Peterborough Hydraulic Lift Locks. Then, it was just from the side of the Trent-Severn Waterway at the visitor centre adjacent to the locks. The boat full of people with the guy on the loudspeaker spewing out facts caught my eye on that visit. At that point, we vowed to look into the Lift Lock Cruises.

Fast forward to the summer of 2015. During the hottest week of the year, we loaded up the van at the trailer in Bobcaygeon with my wife and I, a three year old, a teenager and a senior who had fished in the area all his life but also had never been up the lift locks, or any of the Trent-Severn locks for that matter.

Would it be a money grab? Would it be two hours of being sold on an overpriced snack bar and gift shop? No. The price for an adult on the two hour sightseeing tour is a reasonable $25.50 with prices lower for the teen and senior. The toddler walked on for free. There was a quick mention of the snack bar on the lower deck as the tour started and nothing further throughout the cruise. There was no overpriced gift shop – although, a souvenir t-shirt would have actually come in handy.

So, considering the fees for going back and forth over two locks on the Trent-Severn, the fuel and the staff cost – for what is really a once in a lifetime experience – the price is a bargain.

By the way, if you happen to be reading this from the United States, as of the start of August, 2015, your dollar buys you around $1.31 in Canadian dollars. After banking fees and such, Canada right now is basically 25% for Americans with the exchange rate.

Lift Lock Cruise

What’s involved in this unique tour? Officially dubbed Liftlock & the Riverboat Cruises, the Peterborough Lift Lock Cruise starts out from a dock at 92 George Street North in the downtown area, right beside the Holiday Inn. For anyone who’s ever played in a hockey tournament in Peterborough, you will know this hotel well.

Tours begin on the Victoria Day weekend in May and finish up on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in October. There are 2-3 cruises per day, depending on time of year. There are also dinner cruises that run around $60 per person and lunch cruises that come in around $50 per person.

On board the Island Princess III, you cross Little Lake and enter the canal at Lock 20 – Ashburnham. This is a traditional flood lock that rises 3.7 metres or 12.1 feet. The lock is 9.7 metres or 31.8 feet wide and 36.6 metres or 120.1 feet long.

After passing two swing bridges, one for automobile traffic and one for rail traffic, the boat approaches the famous lift locks. Lock 21 of 45 on the Trent-Severn Waterway, the lift locks were first completed in 1904 and rise 19.8 metres or 65 feet. This remains the highest hydraulic boat lift in the world.

The boat enters what is basically a very large tub that sits on a hydraulic cylinder. Think car lift at your local garage, only really, really big. The tub is 43 metres or 141 feet long and 10 metres or 33 feet wide. This was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1979.

Once that Island Princess III has been lifted up, with some incredible vistas of the city and surrounding countryside, she travels a short distance up the canal to a small bay. At this point, the boat takes a sharp 180 to make the return trip.

For a better look at the lift locks and some more details, check out the article we put up last year: Peterborough Lift Locks.

The cruise alone, travelling up and down two locks, is an amazing experience. Travelling with Captain Jody takes the experience way over the top. This man provides you with two hours worth of stories and history of the locks, the canal and the City of Peterborough. He does it with a passion that exudes pride for his boat, his city and the canal.

He does this while driving the boat, helping other less experienced boats with the locking process and seemingly having time to personally meet with each and every one of his passengers.

What Captain Jody reminds me of (in a good way) is the sneaky, sneaky butler from the 2002 movie Deeds with Adam Sandler. That character, Emilio Lopez, is played by John Torturro and seems to appear out of thin air whenever Sandler’s character Deeds needs any kind of help. However, Captain Jody did not offer to wash anyone’s feet but it seemed he was simply always there when you needed him.

For those who have been on the cruise, check out this story from the Peterborough Examiner that he was too humble to share with you: Bike Accident on the Trent-Severn

Peterborough, Ontario

The City of Peterborough has a population of 81,000, according to the signs when entering town. The metro population is around 132,000 with an additional large number of college and university students.

Peterborough was established as Scott’s Plains in 1819. In 1850, it was incorporated as the town of Peterborough. In 1905, it was incorporated as a city.

Other Area Attractions

After the cruise, don’t rush out of the city – there’s lots more to see. The Riverview Park and Zoo is located on the Otonabee River, north of downtown. This park has a decent zoo with an enormous playground and splash pad area for kids. The best part is the fee: free.

Also, you really should go the Lift Locks visitor centre to get an up close view of the mechanics of this wonder. If you’re up for a workout, there are some pretty hefty stairways you can travel alongside the locks.

The Kawarthas area has other can’t miss locations like Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Buckhorn, Stoney Lake and much, much more. If you’re travelling between Buckhorn and Bobcaygeon, be sure to stop in at Kawartha Country Wines for free tasting and some great fruit wine.