Canada Summer Job program was a resounding success For SCC!

Our amazing Visitor information Officer, Keith Lehwald has completed his 14-week term and we are so thankful for his valuable contribution to the Shubenacadie Canal Commission this summer. We miss Keith greatly and wish him all the best as he heads back to school!

Keith provided much needed support in our office, provided interpretation on the historic Shubenacadie Canal Waterway and delivered comprehensive FREE guided tours all summer.

We were only able to provide this service because of the support of the Canada Summer Jobs program Social Development Canada. Thank you to our MP Darren Fisher who continues to be a strong advocate for programs like Canada Summer Jobs and who continues to be a huge supporter of the Shubenacadie Canal Commission.

Guided tours were given of the Shubie Park area of the historic Shubenacadie Canal Waterway June - August.

Guided Flume House and Marine Railway tours were given in July and August.

Seen here on the Lock 6 boardwalk, Keith was a valued part of the SCC team during his term and we wish him all the best!

Major Website Updates Now Online

We have just completed major updates to our website in both content and organization! We hope that these changes will make it easier and more rewarding to explore.

Under “Attractions”, learn more about the various parks, natural features, and historic sites along the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway. Each site features refreshed and expanded information as well as interactive Google Maps. Many pages also boast new pictures taken just this summer.

Under “Recreation”, learn more about the various fun activities available along the waterway. New links and directories have been added to each page to make it easier than ever to find service providers, no matter what you are interested in.

Under “Heritage”, travel back in time as you learn the history of the Shubenacadie Canal in more detail than has likely ever been available online. The story starts 515 million years ago and finishes at the present, with an eye toward the future. There is so much information that it had to be split across multiple pages!

Finally, check out our new and improved donation page. Thanks to integration with the CanadaHelps.org platform, it has never been easier to support the work of the Shubenacadie Canal Commission.

We hope that our updated website will inspire you to explore the rest of the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway for yourself.

Marine Railway Tours Extended Through August

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The Marine Railway at Starr Park, 58 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth.

By popular demand, free guided tours of the Shubenacadie Canal Marine Railway in Dartmouth’s Starr Park will continue through the month of August. The tours will now be available every Saturday until August 17, between 12:00 and 4:00 pm. The final tours of the season will be offered on Sunday, August 25, during Switch Dartmouth 2019. All tours are free of charge, but donations to the Shubenacadie Canal Commission are welcome.

This July, the Shubenacadie Canal Commission began offering tours of the marine railway for the first time since it was reconstructed in 2018. In the three days it has been open so far, nearly 150 people have attended.

“The marine railway has always been a very special project for us,” said Bill McIntyre, chair of the Shubenacadie Canal Commission. “It’s exciting that so many members of the public seem to agree.”

Between 1861 and 1871, the Shubenacadie Canal allowed boats and barges to travel directly between Halifax Harbour and the Bay of Fundy. The Dartmouth marine railway used an inclined plane and a large cable-driven cradle to lift boats out of the water at Dartmouth Cove and carry them to Sullivan’s Pond, from which they could sail onward to the rest of the canal.

The marine railway is located at Starr Park, 58 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth. Learn more about the tours by visiting our event pages on Facebook and Eventbrite.

Click here for directions to the marine railway.

Visit SCC at Switch Dartmouth on June 2

Be among the first to experience the Shubenacadie Canal Marine Railway while listening to the sweet harmonies of a barbershop quartet. The reconstructed flume house at Starr Park will be open for free guided tours for the first time during Switch. The September Sound Quartet will also be giving two performances on site at 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm respectively. While there, be sure to stop by our table and enter to win a free copy of River of Dreams: The Saga of the Shubenacadie Canal by Donna Barnett.