Lachine rapids
The Lachine Rapids ( French Rapides de Lachine , English Lachine Rapids ) are a series of rapids in the Saint Lawrence River . They are located south of the Île de Montréal , between the Montreal district of LaSalle on the north and the commune of Sainte-Catherine on the south bank. They are named after Lachine , located further to the west , as the area of LaSalle once belonged to the local parish.
geography
Between Lac Saint-Louis in the west and the Bassin de Laprairie in the east, the Saint Lawrence River overcomes a height difference of around 13 meters over a distance of three kilometers. In the middle of the rapids are several small islands that serve as resting places for migratory birds . These include the Île aux Hérons (Heron Island), the Île aux Chèvres (Goat Island), the Sept Sœurs (Seven Sisters) and the Île au Diable (Devil's Island). The rapids cause permanent standing waves in some places . Wave Habitat 67 in particular , located near the residential area of the same name , is very popular with white water paddlers , rafters and river surfers .
history
The first European to discover the rapids was Jacques Cartier when he sailed up the Saint Lawrence River in 1535. In 1611 Samuel de Champlain described them in detail. He gave them the name Sault Saint-Louis , named after a companion named Louis who drowned here. This name was common until the middle of the 19th century, after which the neighboring town of Lachine was the namesake.
Since barges could not get through the treacherous place, portage was necessary, which made the settlement of areas further to the west difficult. The Lachine Canal was created to bypass the obstacle . Even after it opened in 1825, it was often easier to get goods by rail to Montreal and reload them in the port there . Since 1959, the Lachine Rapids can the floodgates Saint-Lambert and Côte Sainte-Catherine of Saint Lawrence Seaway to drive around.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Surf's up St. Lawrence. Montreal Mirror, July 9, 2009, archived from the original on January 17, 2006 ; accessed on June 9, 2011 .
- ↑ Hans-Otto Meissner : Scouts at St. Lorenzstrom. The adventures of Samuel de Champlain . Cotta, Stuttgart 1966, p. 148.
Coordinates: 45 ° 25 ′ 4.8 ″ N , 73 ° 35 ′ 31.2 ″ W.