The Global Network of Water Museums is a flagship initiative endorsed by the Council of UNESCO-IHP (Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme)

Canadian Museum of Water

Port McNicoll, Canada

The Canadian Museum of Water was established in 2023 to provide a focal point for advocacy and for water-related initiatives in Canada. From a unique Canadian perspective, our telling of the story of water spans a timeline that is centuries old: from the earliest First Nations through to the Industrial Era and on to contemporary Canada. Canada has upwards of 20% of the world's surface freshwater and 7% of the world's renewable water flow. Our programming and activities model both stewardship and advocacy as vital tools in promoting preservation, innovation, and education.  

The Canadian Museum of Water with its presence online, on the ground and on the water, seeks to establish itself as Canada’s primary conduit for the understanding and appreciation of water and the role it plays in our heritage, our culture and our everyday life.

Temporary Exhibition

Steam and Steel: The Story of the SS Keewatin
From 1907 to 1965 Port McNicoll was known as “The Chicago of the North” for its industry and maritime heritage. A major CP rail hub, the SS Keewatin and her sister-ship the SS Assiniboia provided a vital transportation link between Central and Southern Ontario to the Canadian West.
Our online exhibit explores the vessel itself, and will be updated to explore some of the stories and personalities of those who sailed on Canada's Great Lakes.

"I Am Water"
The “I Am Water” Exhibit presents visitors with a personification of water and asks visitors to create a relationship with this embodiment.

Wooden Boats on Georgian Bay: A Journey
This temporary online exhibition explores water transportation on the great lakes through the dozens of vessels restored by the Georgian Bay Heritage League along with their team of dedicated volunteers.

Itineraries

Trent Severn Waterway Trent Severn National Historic Site I Parks Canada

The Trent-Severn Waterway

At 386kms long, the Trent-Severn Waterway was constructed at the turn of the last century and opened in 1922 as a way to connect two of Canada’s Great Lakes directly, Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. It now exists as a historic lock system, maintained by the Government of Canada and provides critical access for small ships, boats, and pleasure craft through the interior of the province of Ontario – some of the most scenic and beautiful locations in the world. Port McNicoll is just a few kilometers from the Severn end of the lock system.

Stopping points:

Moving from Lake Ontario toward Severn (and Port McNicoll) boaters will encounter the following landmarks:

  • Murray Canal Bridge – This is an eight-kilometer canal dug out between 1882-1889 to circumvent challenging waters in Lake Ontario around Prince Edward County.
  • Lock 1 at Trenton – This is the typical starting point for any journey on the Trent- Severn. There is a small visitors centre at the lock where staff demonstrate how the historic lock works.
  • Lockmaster’s house –The Lockmaster’s House has been fully restored and is open to visitors near Lock 4. Tours of the house focus on the early days of the Trent-Severn waterway and the life of the lockmaster, using an old lantern to light the way for vessels.
  • The Ranney Gorge Suspension Bridge – This is a 300-foot swing bridge suspended over 30 feet above the canal.
  • Campbellford Toonie – There is a large $2 Canadian coin that tourists are able to visit in Campbellford as the designer of the coin (made legal tender in 1996) was from Campbellford.
  • Lang Pioneer Village Museum near Rice Lake – Just off the Waterway on Indian River, the Lang Pioneer Village has 30 different historic buildings and costumed interpreters share the history of Canada and the region with visitors.
  • Peterborough Lift Lock – Lock 21 of the waterway, it is reported to be the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world. Opened in 1904 it sits almost 20 meters above the waterway.
  • Bobcaygeon – This small town along the route is famous as it was represented in a song by Canadian folk/rock group The Tragically Hip.
  • Lindsay – The Town of Lindsay is at Lock 33 along the way and is the capital of the Kawartha Lakes Region. Many people stop here along the route especially for ice cream at the Kawartha Dairy – rumored to be among the finest in Canada.
  • Kirkfield Lift Lock at Lock 36 – Situated on one of the main stops along the route, the Kirkfield lift lock is almost as high as its Peterborough counterpart.
  • Beaverton – This is the first encounter for boaters with Lake Simcoe, an inland lake which was named after the father of Upper Canada’s (now Ontario’s) first Lieutenant General John Graves Simcoe. The pier and Alsops Beach are popular attractions in Beaverton
  • Mara Provincial Park – With a great beach and great sunsets, Mara Park is a popular stop on the Trent-Severn, right at the convergence of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.
  • Casino Rama – A First Nations-run casino just East of Orillia and on the Rama Reserve.  
  • Orillia – With a population of 31,000 this is the second largest city along the route, with great shops and restaurants, and annual events and festivities such as the Mariposa Folk Festival. It is the birthplace of folk singer Gordon Lightfoot.
  • The Big Chute Marine Railway – Located at Lock 44, the Big Chute is the only one of its kind in North America, as it picks up small boats from the Waterway in a rectangular cradle and moves them overland along two sets of railway tracks into Georgian Bay. Impressive to watch!
  • White’s Falls – Just before Port Severn, a beautiful waterfall and a popular spot for photography. 
  • Port Severn – Lock 45 is the smallest and last of the locks on the Waterway.
  • Port McNicoll and the Canadian Museum of Water – Look directly across the bay from the last lock at Port Severn and you will see the village of Port McNicoll. Once known as the Chicago of the North, it was the origin and terminus of the CP steamship fleet from 1912 to 1965, including the ships SS Keewatin and SS Assiniboia.

Links:

Road Trip: Drive the Trent-Severn Waterway | To Do Canada

Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site (canada.ca)

Trent-Severn Waterway ~ The Locks - Google My Maps

visit itinerary

Gallery

The Harbour at Port McNicoll, home to the CP steamship line from 1912 to 1965
Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) and the Ferry Sandy Graham as seen from Beausoleil First Nation Reserve, home to an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) band.
Two children looking across a frozen Georgian Bay from the Port McNicoll side
Volunteers and Kids Crafts, 2022. One of our volunteers demonstrates how to weave a baby turtle, and speaks about Canadian wildlife and conservation
Water Talks (2022), of one of our speaker series which featured environmentalists from Severn Sound Environmental Association – partner of the Canadian Museum Association
Musee canadien de l'eau
"Adrian", the Smiling Water Droplet, mascot of the CMW
Water as Sport. Here two children run through a water park in Penetanguishene, Ontario (Near Port McNicoll) to cool down from the heat.