Locking through safely

Locks usually consist of a watertight basin known as a lock chamber. They are designed to raise and lower boats by filling or emptying the lock chamber as required.  The locks were built, along with a series of dams, to bypass rapids and waterfalls. In some locations, two or more locks are joined together to overcome greater changes in water levels. 

Consult the following 3 steps to find out how to locking through safely on Quebec's canals and waterways.

• Step 1: Approaching the canal

  • Reduce your speed until you eliminate your wake.
  • Keep the canal entrance clear so you don’t hinder the passage of boats exiting.
  • Contact the lock/bridge operators by VHF radio or telephone to inform them of your position and your intention to be locked through, find out the wait time, and obtain locking-through instructions.
  • Moor your vessel at the holding wharf. The blue line painted on mooring wharves marks the boundary for boats waiting for the next lockage. This zone is reserved strictly for them.
  • Install your mooring lines and fenders on the wharf side inside the lock. You must have a minimum of two mooring lines of sufficient length and in good condition, one in front and one in back. Your floating fenders must be securely fastened, the correct size, and of sufficient quantity that neither your vessel nor the canal is damaged.
    • If there is no wharf inside the lock (such as in the Chambly Canal), lock operators will inform you of the side on which to moor and will provide you mooring lines.
  • Ensure that you have at least one person capable of doing the work required for each mooring line. Entrance to the canal will be refused if you are alone aboard the vessel.
  • Watch the traffic lights:
    • You may enter in the lock when the light turn green.
    • Get ready on the flashing red light (do not enter the lock)
    • The lock is not in service or a lock operation is in progress on the solid red (do not enter the lock)
  • Vessels are locked through on a “first come, first served” basis. However, priority may be given to a specific vessel for logistical or safety reasons.

  You are under the care of lock operators. Be polite to them. Verbal abuse will not be tolerated.

• Step 2: Into the lock 

  • Once the navigation light is green, enter the lock following the instructions of the lock operators.
  • Dock your watercraft in the area indicated by the lock operators, either along the wharf or beside another boat.
  • Immobilize your craft by putting it in reverse.
  • Switch off the engine only after the craft is securely moored. It is the responsibility of the pleasure craft operators to ensure that their vessels are properly docked and moored. Staff may provide assistance when you arrive, if they are available.

  At the Saint-Ours, Lachine, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Carillon canals, ensure that your craft is securely tied to the wharf. Tie up the back first by taking up all the slack, then tie up the front.

  At the Chambly canal, do not attach mooring lines to your cleats. Loop the line around the cleat, making sure to lighten or loosen it during the lockage process.

  Once your craft is well-moored, follow these instructions:

  • No open flasmes on board
  • Turn off the engine
  • No smoking/vaping
  • Bilge blower on
  • Turn off your radar
  • Reduce the volume of your radio during the lockage
  • Be ready to pay or show your lockage permit to staff

  During the lockage, each mooring line must be tended by a crew member. At the Chambly canal, use a boat hook to distance yourself from the lock wall. Do not use your feet or your hands.

  When you navigate through the Chambly and the Lachine canals, always report your arrival at locks and bridges. Keep staff abreast of your navigation plans. 

• Step 3: Exiting the lock

  • Wait until the lock gates are fully open and lock staff give you the signal to start the engine and unhook your moorings.
  • Exit the lock slowly, in the order given by the lock operators. If boats are side by side in the lock, they must exit width-wise, from the wall to the wharf.
  • Respect the 10 km/h (6 mph, 5.5 knots) speed limit and watch your wake until reaching the lateral buoys at the canal channel exit. 

 View the steps to lockage through safely

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Technical data

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal

• Draught: 2.74 m (9 feet)
• Overhead clearance: between 10.67 m (35 feet) and 12.80 m (42 feet)
• Lock dimensions: 54.86 m (180 feet) x 11.89 m (39 feet)
• Transit time: 30 minutes

Important information
Draft and clearance may vary, please contact the lockmaster by phone at 514-457-5546 or by VHF channel 68 during operating hours.

Lachine Canal

• Draught: 2 m (6 feet, 6 inches)
• Overhead clearance: 2.45 m (8 feet)
• Smallest lock dimensions: 50.29 m (165 feet) x 11 m (36 feet)
• Transit time: 3 to 5 hours
• Length of canal: 14 km (7.56 NM)

Important information

• Draft and clearance may vary, please contact the lockmaster by phone at lock no. 5 (Lachine): 514-595-6594 and at lock no. 1 (Old Port): 514-496-1536 or by VHF channel 68 during operating hours.
• Due to a problem with one of the gates, the maximum width of the boats authorized in locks Nos. 1 and 2 is 15 feet. 

 

Carillon Canal

• Draught: 2.74 m (9 feet)
• Overhead clearance: 12.8 m (42 feet)
• Lock dimensions: 54.86 m (180 feet) x 11.89 m (39 feet)
• Transit time: 1 hour

Important information

• Draft and clearance may vary, please contact the lockmaster by phone at 450-537-3534 or by VHF-canal 68 during operating hours.
• Submerged logs could drift and pose a danger to boats. Be carefull!

Chambly Canal

• Draught: 2 m (6.6 feet)
• Overhead clearance: 8.84 m (29 feet)
• Smallest lock dimensions: 33.52 m (110 feet) x 6.7 m (22 feet)
• Transit time: 3 to 5 hours
• Length of canal: 19 km (10.29 NM)

Important information

• Draft and clearance may vary, please contact the lockmaster by phone at 450-658-4381 (locks no. 1-2-3) and 450-348-3392 (lock no. 9) or by VHF-canal 68 during operating hours.
• Submerged logs could drift and pose a danger to boats. Be carefull! 

 

Saint-Ours Canal

• Draught: 3.66 m (12 ft.)
• Clearance: 8.84 m (29 ft.)
• Lock dimensions: 97.54 m (320 ft.) x 11.89 m (39 ft.)
• Transit time: 30 minutes

Important information

• Draft and clearance may vary, please contact the lockmaster by phone at 450-755-8140 or by VHF-canal 68 during operating hours.
• Because of fixed bridges and overhead power lines, vessels with masts exceeding 8 meters must unmast at Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix located upstream of the Saint-Ours Canal or at Sorel located downstream of the Saint-Ours Canal.

 

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Lockage and mooring permits

To navigate the historic canals, get through the locks or moor overnight, you need a lockage and/or mooring permit. 

Get your lockage permit online. You can also buy your permit at the lock station.

Night mooring

When you dock at a wall or wharf adjacent to a lock between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., you must pay for mooring at the lock station or while travelling through the lock. Double-moored vessels must also pay.

The maximum mooring period is 48 hours. You must wait at least 24 hours before returning to moor in the same lock. Note that this regulation is subject to change.

• All vessels must obtain a locking and mooring permit, regardless of their size, with the minimum rate applying to 12-foot vessels.
• To be valid, seasonal locking and mooring permits must be installed in full view on the front side of the lower edge of the vessel’s windshield.
• Keep your receipts in a safe place, as proof of purchase.

Visit the Passes and permits page for more information on permits and rates.

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Locking through safely - Historic canals in Ontario

• Locking through safely on the Rideau Canal
• Locking through safely in the Trent-Severn Waterway