June 12, 2017

As of June 6, 2017, Parks Canada advises that the Trent-Severn Waterway is fully open for boating traffic for the 2017 Navigation Season. All lock stations along the system are now welcoming visitors by land and through all locks.
Parks Canada thanks all visitors and residents for their patience and cooperation as staff worked diligently to address high water levels and flows caused by excessive precipitation to ensure safe boating conditions.

Boaters can look forward to a great 2017 season. This year, lockage fees are free for recreational boaters, a great way to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. Boaters may order their passes on-line or the can be issued at any Lock Station. All that is required is your vessel registration number.

Developing new and innovative programs and services, at sites like the Trent-Severn Waterway, allows more Canadians, including youth and newcomers, to experience the outdoors and learn about our environment and history. As a result, Parks Canada is continuing to improve its visitor offer on the Trent-Severn Waterway, with new facilities and expanded services, making 2017 the perfect time to experience the rich heritage and natural beauty of this Canadian National Historic Site.

As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2011, Parks Canada, in partnership with MEC, launched Learn-to Camp events which targeted various Canadian urban centres. Since then, many other Learn-to Camp activities are held every summer across the country in various locations. The focus of the Learn-to Camp is to create a connection between first-time campers and the Canadian camping experience, to introduce families to a lifetime of outdoor activities and encourage them to visit Parks Canada’s special heritage places. By leveraging the successful Learn-to Camp initiative, Parks Canada will build a community of stewards to help foster an appreciation for nature among Canadians of all ages and allow them to connect with nature. There will be 5 Learn-to-Camp events taking part on the Trent-Severn Waterway in 2017, for more information on the program, please visit…www.parkscanada.gc.ca/learntocamp

Along with free lockage, the Trent-Severn Waterway’s signature event in celebration of Canada 150 will be “Lock’n Paddle” taking place on June 24th. The plan is to load 150 paddlecraft into each of the two chambers of the Peterborough Lift Lock National Historic Site of Canada. Once the lockage takes place and the chambers are lifted to level, we plan to salute our great nation by singing “O Canada”. For more information on how to be part of this historic event, please visit our website or check out our social media feeds.

This year the Trent-Severn Waterway has also launched a new Twitter account to provide information tailored for boaters using the waterway. To keep up to date on wait times, mooring availability, navigation information and local events, please follow @TSWBoaterInfo (English) or @VTNSInfoNav (French).

For more information about the Trent-Severn Waterway, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/trent, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TrentSevernNHS.