The Canals | from Brockville to Montreal

Detailed overview

Start in Brockville

Day 1: Brockville to Morrisburg (65 KM)

🚴 Before leaving Brockville, take some time to visit its unique attraction: Canada's first railway tunnel, completed in 1860! Then take the scenic Waterfront Trail west. This trail will take you along the majestic St. Lawrence River and through charming villages rich in history. A little further on, in Iroquois, take a break to observe the canal and its impressive lock. This allows ships to overcome a difference in elevation of about 21 meters. You can watch them pass from an adjacent park. As you continue your journey, don't miss Fort Wellington and the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site near Prescott. Along the way, take advantage of the beaches to cool off and relax. To end your day in style, savor a delicious local wine in an enchanting setting in Morrisburg.

🌟 Possible attractions/stops: Iroquois Lock, beaches (Iroquois, Prescott, Morrisburg), Fort Wellington (Prescott), StoneCropAcres Winery (Morrisburg)

🛏️ Overnight stay in Morrisburg

Day 2: Morrisburg to Cornwall (50 km)

🚴 Departure from Morrisburg. Why not visit Upper Canada Village? An open-air museum that recreates life in the 19th century. Continue your journey on a superb bike path through the woods. Cross a migratory bird sanctuary and you arrive at the highlight of the day with the passage through the Long Sault Islands, a quiet road that crosses a series of islands that were created from the highest points of land flooded by the St. Lawrence River in the 1950s. Get back on a bike path and discover the Lost Village Museum and the R.H. Saunders Generating Station. Then, follow the historic Cornwall Canal to downtown Cornwall, a very bike-friendly city with easy access to restaurants, shops, attractions and much more!

🌟 Possible attractions/stops: Upper Canada Village (Morrisburg), Mille Roches beach located on the Long Sault Parkway, Lost Village Museum (Long Sault), Saunders Hydro Dam Visitor Centre (Cornwall), Historic SDG Jail (Cornwall), Lamoureux Park (Cornwall), downtown Cornwall.

🛏️ Overnight stay in Cornwall

Day 3: Cornwall to Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (65 km)

🚴 Leave Cornwall towards Salaberry-de-Valleyfield. Take the Waterfront Trail and follow the river from the start. Arriving in Quebec, at Rivière Beaudette, follow the Route Verte. Discover the landscapes and history of Suroît, a region distinguished by its river and rural character. In Saint-Zotique, take advantage of the beach to cool off. In Les Coteaux, take the Soulanges Canal bike path. End your journey in style by following Lake Saint-François and the historic downtown of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.

🌟 Possible attractions/stops: Saint-Zotique beach, MUSO (Musée de société des Deux-Rives in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield) , Delpha-Sauvé park (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield).

🛏️ Overnight stay in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

Day 4: Loop towards Beauharnois (50 km)

🚴 Depart from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield towards Beauharnois and take the Route Verte. Follow the Beauharnois Canal, one of the most important engineering works in the country. Visit the Beauharnois hydroelectric dam, the fifth largest in Quebec, and at the same time visit the Beauharnois Canal Interpretation Center, which will reveal the secrets of its construction and operation.

🌟 Possible attractions/stops: La Petite Grange, Beauharnois hydroelectric power station, Pointe-du-Buisson – Musée québecois d’archéologie, Beach at the Parc régional des Îles-de-Saint-Timothée, Ferme Hubert Sauvé (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield).

🛏️ 2nd overnight stay in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

Day 5: Salaberry-de-Valleyfield to Vaudreuil-Dorion (40 km)

🚴 Discover the beauty of Montérégie-Ouest, its waterways, regional parks and towns. In Coteau-du-Lac, stop to see the remains of one of the oldest lock canals in North America. Take the Soulanges Canal path, which runs alongside the old canal of the same name. It crosses the municipalities of Coteau-du-Lac, Les Cèdres and Pointe-des-Cascades. Also stop at the Village-des-Écluses. It is possible to eat, rent a kayak or swim. From the belvedere, you can admire the point and the meeting of the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River, a superb viewpoint!

🌟 Possible attractions/stops: Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site, Le Bourg des Cèdres Vineyard, Village-des-Écluses, Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

🛏️ Overnight stay in Vaudreuil-Dorion

Day 6: Vaudreuil-Dorion to Montreal (50 km)

🚴 The bike path between Vaudreuil-Dorion and Montreal is a great way to discover the banks of the St. Lawrence River and the Lachine Canal. Quickly, you pass by the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal. Take a break at the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site to admire the rapids and the junction of Lake of Two Mountains and Lake Saint-Louis, which is a widening of the St. Lawrence River. Continue on the Dorval shoreline bike path, which follows the St. Lawrence River and offers other magnificent views of the water. In Montreal, take the Lachine Canal bike path. Cross the Griffintown District, a former working-class area transformed into an artistic and gastronomic hub, to arrive at your final destination in the Old Port of Montreal. Your journey of the day combines nature, heritage and urbanity!

🌟 Possible attractions/stops: Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site, Fur Trade Museum in Lachine, Lachine Canal, Atwater Market, Old Port.

🛏️ Overnight stay in Montreal