The “rigolet” canal

In the 18th century at Coteau-du-Lac, the French built a rigolet canal to help heavy batteaux pass the rapids because these boats were difficult to portage. The canal was a simple dike of piled rocks forming a line parallel to the shore about a dozen feet from it, creating a shallow navigable channel that protected boats from the violent currents of nearby rapids. Beginning in the early 18th century, the French used the batteau, a more stable craft than the canoe that could carry more goods. It was a flat-bottomed barge with pointed ends, propelled by oar or pole and sometimes fitted with a sail, and required a crew of 4 to 5. On the upper St. Lawrence, the average batteau measured 9 to 12 metres long and 1.5 to 2.4 metres across at its broadest point, with a loading capacity of 3 to 5 tonnes. To pass through the rigolet canal, it was often necessary to unload three-quarters of the cargo and sometimes all of it.

Quebec · Canada