Cultural Landmarks of Hamilton-Wentworth

Desjardins Canal

Location:  Through Burlington Heights, Cootes Paradise, and West Hamilton to Dundas, Ontario

During the early 1820's, Pierre Desjardins was a clerk, who worked for Mr. Durland in Norfolk County. He lived in the area of Cootes Paradise for fifteen years before moving to Dundas. He had conceived of the idea of creating a canal five miles long which would be used to ship goods to and from the Dundas community. The canal would travel from Dundas to Cootes Paradise and out to Burlington Bay. Essentially, Dundas, which was incorporated as a town in 1847, wanted to become the main port at the head of Lake Ontario, instead of Hamilton. If this could be achieved, then the town of Dundas would reap significant economic benefits. Desjardins petitioned the government for a plot of land in Dundas with the intention of building a waterway. Specifically, he wanted to acquire 2 Quay Street so that he could have a small island in front of his lot. His main ambition was to build a storehouse on the property and to remove large deposits of dirt from the creek bed to make a channel through the Dundas marsh. He asked for permission from the local Dundas government to acquire further marsh in front of lots 20 to 24. It was imperative to have this area in order to build the channel.

In 1825, six Dundas men; Pierre Desjardins, Edward, John, and William Lesslie, and Peter and John Paterson became the first partners in the construction of the canal and eventually the founding members of the Canal Corporation. Four other men joined the original six members later in the development of the Canal. During the same year, Desjardins applied for a charter which would approve the construction of the Canal. Permission was not granted until January 30, 1826 through an Act of Parliament. The agreement clearly stated that the project could not exceed £10,000. Unfortunately, Pierre Desjardins would never see the completion of the Canal as he died one year later from injuries believed to be caused while he was horseback riding. Since, no one witnessed the accident, rumours surfaced about the circumstances of his death. However, no evidence was ever found to indicate that foul play was involved in his untimely death. Mr. Pierre Desjardins had been a strong proponent of the Canal project and had donated a significant amount of his time and money towards the development of the Canal.

By 1831, the £10,000 originally awarded for the project had been exhausted and new funding was required for the project to continue. Therefore, the remaining members of the Canal Corporation requested more financing from the government. In 1832, they were awarded £5,000 and another £7,000  in 1835 and £5,000 in 1837. Interest in the Canal was high since its development was thought to bring industrial and economic development. New businesses began to spring up such as an axe factory, a foundry, two breweries, a bank, a cabinet factory, a newspaper, two carriage factories, a saw mill, an artisan shop, blacksmiths, two brick yards, two chair factories, a machine shop, four hotels, three doctors' offices, and one lawyer's office. In total, twelve new businesses would come to Dundas in anticipation of industrialisation and urbanisation.

The official opening of the Canal was held on August 16, 1837. The celebration included band music and cannons blasts. Later in the evening, a dance and a fireworks display were held. The Dundas community anticipated the installation of the Canal would bring even more business and interest to the town. In fact, the population had increased by one hundred people by the time the Canal was officially opened.

The total cost for the Canal was £27,597, which was nearly three times more than the original estimate. However, the community felt the future economic gains which would be a result of the Canal, outweighed the high price. The Canal was operated through a system of tolls and its prosperity lasted almost twenty years. Thus, many Dundas residents believed the town would become the most productive and industrial area of the region. The positive appeal of the Canal was short lived as it faced serious problems in the future.

The Canal Corporation had to deal with low levels of water in the Canal which permitted only smaller vessels to traverse. This seriously limited the export and import of goods to Dundas. As well, Hamilton was beginning to develop its harbour and it was quickly becoming the port of choice. The competition of the Great Western Railway which linked to Hamilton began to paralyse trade to Dundas. Attempts were made to enlarge and deepen the Canal, however, the Canal Corporation was unable to raise the require funding for such a project. By 1867, a sand bar had developed which prevented the passage of boats to or from Dundas. The Canal Corporation looked for other means of transportation to the town such as the more successful rail service.

In order for a train to have direct access to Dundas via train, a swing bridge needed to be erected across the canal. On January 5, 1854, the swing bridge was officially opened and cost 10,000 pounds to complete. The 10,000 pounds was donated by the town of Dundas, which had been granted to them by the government. The total loan was for 13,000 pounds, but the town of Dundas kept the remaining 3,000 pounds. The introduction of the Canal Corporation railway was a smart business decision, since it had been proven to be a successful venture for the Great Western Railway. However, the Canal Corporation railway would never fulfil its potential, due to tragic event- the Desjardins Canal train derailment of March, 1857.

On Thursday, March 12, 1857, the railway train from Toronto (Canada West) was arriving to north-east outskirts of Hamilton as usual, and proceeded across the swinging bridge of the Desjardins Canal. The bridge was sixty feet above the water and crossed the Desjardins Canal which was cut through Burlington heights to allow boats to enter Cootes Paradise. There were ninety passengers on the train when it derailed, and crashed to the floor of the Canal Only twenty people survived the train wreck.

Shortly after the accident the Canal Corporation tried to construct another bridge, but local residents feared another train derailment and tried to prevent the installation of a new bridge. The community filed numerous lawsuits preventing the construction of the bridge. In 1895, the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo (TH&B) Railway began using the H&D Railway tracks which led into Dundas and forever halted any new Canal Corporation construction.

The Desjardins Canal is a significant part of Hamilton-Wentworth history. It represented the beginning of change and development in the area. In 1927, the Ontario Provincial Government recognised the importance of the area and awarded Cootes Paradise legal protection as a sanctuary. It has since become an important resting place of migratory birds in Southern Ontario and is one of the most important wetlands in Ontario. In fact, over 80 percent of Ontario wetlands have been destroyed due to intensive land development, therefore, the preservation of Cootes Paradise is crucial to the survival of many migratory birds.

References:
Dear, Drake, Reeds., Steel City: Hamilton and Region. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, Ontario, 1987. pp.85-94.
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. April 4, 1857.
Promfret, Brian, and Justus Benckhuysen. 1993. Royal Botanical Gardens Ecology Department Progress Report: 1993 Wildlife and Vegetation Monitoring Results. 46 pages, unpublished report.