Locking Up and Down to Fenelon Falls – Trent Severn Waterway – Ontario, Canada

It was a cloudy, windy day on our cruise to Fenelon Falls –

The overcast day was unfortunate since we were to transit Kirkfield Lift Lock 36 on that day before we docked at Fenelon Falls. Located in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, the hydraulic lift lock would be the highlight of our day on the water. I wanted to get a few good photos of the trip. We remember it as being a very scenic ride up in the “tub” when we came through the Trent Severn during our Great Loop trip in 2006. The channel leading to the lock is narrow, lined in heavy boroughs of fir trees and rock leading.

Fascinating Marvels of Engineering

We arrived at Bolsover Lock 37, then Kirkfield Lock 36, and finally Rosedale Lock 35 before we reached Fenelon Falls. Many have heard of the bigger lift lock, in Peterborough Lock 21. Fashioned after the lifts on the old Canal Du Centre in Belgium, the Kirkfield and Peterborough Lift Locks, built in the early 1900s, are fascinating marvels of engineering.

With 44 locks in the Trent Severn Waterway alone,
I’m sure I’ll tire of taking photos of locks fairly soon.

However, at the moment, I am fascinated by them. Waiting at the “blue line.” Catching a lock line to secure to, positioning ourselves at the back of the lock. Riding the rush of water up to the top, 49 feet. (After the Kirkfield Lock we will lock down.) Talking to the many friendly groups of students during our ride, they manage the locks in the summer.

No students at the Kirkfield Lift Lock (above), only a Lockmaster who gave instructions for tying up and exiting. As opposed to the hand cranking and turning system on most of the Trent Severn and Rideau locks, the Lockmaster does most of the work in the station house. We watched for the signal light to indicate it was safe to enter the tub. Once settled in, all by ourselves, the tub lowered as we made our descent.

Students work in groups at each lock, sometimes as many as four. They are friendly, and informative, stopping at each boat to chat while boaters are waiting to go up or down in the lock.

Our Ranger Tug buddies, Bucket List and Evolve (above) sat behind us at the dock in Fenelon Falls.

Downtown Fenelon Falls has plenty of shops, restaurants, and food stores.

We always check out a town’s bakery. We are constantly searching for the best butter tarts. So far, Orillia’s Wilkey’s has them all beat.

Right next to our dockage was a beautiful park and the Fenelon Museum.

The museum hosted an afternoon tea for the community and visitors, with fancy tea cups, and saucers to make it special.

When our Ranger Tug buddies, on Audrey Rose (above), left the next day, we moved up to their spot to access electricity and water.

This has got to be the most interesting cleat we have ever tied to, an old lock-turning mechanism called a “crab” (above and below).

The last time we were in Fenelon Falls, we stayed on the downside of the lock, where this houseboat sits (above).

One of the perks of docking in Fenelon Falls is the ability to walk a short distance to the amazing falls, right downtown.