Riverview Park and Zoo remains temporarily closed due to COVID-19. But, if you need to entertain the kids over a late lunch in Peterborough, Ontario, the historic hydraulic lift lock is open. There is just enough room to let off some steam and the spectacle of the giant bathtubs going up and down is nearly as entertaining as playing Minecraft (I said nearly…)!
I always find the lift lock is something you need to take in over a long sit or slow stroll. At first, it’s just Lock 21 of the Trent Severn Waterway and just one of 44 boat lifts along the canal. But, this structure is so much more.
Built in 1904, you slowly get mesmerized by the concrete architecture and how the water has aged it, giving it unique character. The arched windows and doorways. The long stairways. The concrete towers that look more like a fortress or prison than a centre of tourism.
Peterborough Lift Lock Image Gallery
Our latest visit came in the first week of July, 2020. It was a hot day (35c) and the air conditioning was on the fritz at the trailer we frequent in the Kawarthas. So, we popped into the city for a burrito late lunch and a shady picnic by the locks. What follows is what the camera saw…
The photos have been cropped to fit the gallery format. For full-size versions, simply click on the individual pictures.
High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!
Peterborough Lift Lock (Lock 21)
Completed in 1904, the Peterborough Lift Lock was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1979. The highest hydraulic boat lift in the world, Lock 21 of the Trent Severn Waterway lifts vessels 20 metres or 65 feet.
Each of the two caissons, or bathtubs, is 43 metres or 141 feet in length. The width is ten metres or 33 feet. With the maximum length of a boat on the Trent Canal set at 25.6 metres or 84 feet, there is plenty of room in Peterborough.
The lock requires no external power. A simple mix of gravity and counterbalance lifts one caisson up while simultaneously lowering the other one down.
Although currently closed, the visitor centre was added in the 1980’s. The grounds are, however, open to the public. For boaters, overnight mooring is available at the upper level with a two night maximum stay (see 2020 fees below).
Trent Severn Waterway
The Trent Severn Waterway allows a 386 kilometre or 240 mile journey Between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. In all, there are 44 locks along the canal. Construction began in 1833 with Lock 32 in Bobcaygeon, Ontario. The two main Great Lakes bodies of water were not fully connected until 1920.
What began as a commercial waterway was obsolete by the time it was completed. However, since 1920, it has served the recreational tourism business quite well.
2020 Fees
This is not a complete list of fees, but will give a good idea of what it costs to use the Trent Severn Waterway. All prices in Canadian dollars. For reference, a typical bowrider boat (great for smaller lakes like what you find in Muskoka and the Kawarthas) is around 20 feet in length.
For lockage (transiting the locks), pricing is according to the length of your vessel (per foot). For a single return trip through a specific lock, the fee is $.92 per foot. A one day unlimited pass is $1.64 per foot. A seasonal pass is $8.99 per foot.
For mooring overnight, the pricing is also per foot. For a single night, the rate is $.92 per foot. For a season’s pass, the rate is $10.02 per foot.
So, for our typical 20 foot bowrider, we’d be looking at a rounded off rate of $200 for seasonal lockage and $200 for seasonal mooring.
About Peterborough, Ontario
Established as Scott’s Plain in 1819, it was incorporated as the town of Peterborough in 1850. In 1905, it was incorporated as a city. Today, there are over 80,000 residents with a metro population of over 120,000.
An educational centre, Peterborough has been home to Trent University since 1964. Fleming College (formerly Sir Sanford Fleming College) has been in town since 1967. However, the best campus of Fleming, and the one I graduated from, is located in nearby Lindsay, Ontario.
The Peterborough Memorial Centre is home to the city’s sporting passion. The Petes of the Ontario Hockey League began play for the 1956-57 season after being relocated from Kitchener, where they were known as the Canucks. The Peterborough Lakers of MSL lacrosse fame also call the PMC home. That organization was established in 1968.
The PMC opened in 1956, just in time to house the Petes for their inaugural season. The arena with the worst corner boards in hockey has a capacity for 4,300 fans.
