Grandkids Cruise-Big Chute—Trent Severn Waterway-Part-6

The Big Chute Marine Railway—One of the unique locks on the Trent Severn Waterway —

Last leg of the Grandkids Cruise on the Trent Severn Waterway. Shortly after we pulled the boat out of the water and left Orillia, we arrived at the Big Chute Marine Railway, in Coldwater, Ontario. Had we stayed with our initial PLAN A, we would have started our trip in Severn, Ontario. The Big Chute would have been the first lock on our trip with that plan. However, in the summer of 2022, this lock was closed on and off all summer. The day before we would have arrived in Severn, we heard it was closed. So, with the help of our friend, Mark, we came up with PLAN B.

We continued to drive south to the end of our originally planned destination and worked our way from Peterborough, northwest, to Orillia. One way or the other, we wanted the kids to at least see the Big Chute in operation. We figured our chances would be better if we waited to see it at the end of our trip. We were right in that thinking, but we did not have time left on our trip to continue by boat, from Orillia to Severn. After we pulled the boat out, in Orillia, we soon arrived in Coldwater. The rain stopped and the sun broke out of the clouds. Within a few minutes, the operations for the day began with a few boats being carried over the railway.

The red line on the map (below) shows the portion of the TSW we traveled to this year with the grandkids.

Big Chute—Constructed: 1917; 1923; 1978
“In 1914, contracts were awarded to build locks to connect the Severn River to Georgian Bay, with one lock being #44. Wartime shortages stalled the start of construction, but they built the first marine railway in 1917 and then replaced it in 1923. The current marine railway opened to the public in 1978 and has helped to halt the spread of sea lamprey to inland lakes.” —Parks Canada

Big Chute Marine Railway is a patent slip at Lock 44. It works on an inclined plane to carry boats in individual cradles over land and a change of height of about 60 feet.

A few takeaways from doing this trip, with grandkids
To have a more enjoyable experience, try to get to your destination on the first day, or at the very least, the first part of the next day. We found ourselves in the truck with the kids for two and a half days, five days total. Too much! As I noted a few posts ago, kids need to burn off all their excess energy. On the trip back to Michigan, we fired up the iPad, where I had loaded a bunch of kid’s movies the day before. The kids were tired, and the movies helped them relax. Next time we will plan better on that, but we are all happy we did the trip. It was very successful and will be something we will all remember.

Before we left home, we got written permission from the parents to let us take the kids out of the country to Canada. They did not have passports, so we took copies of their birth certificates with us. Jim filed those documents along with our paperwork and passports in a binder, kept in the truck.

We asked the parents to pack one bag each with enough clothes to wear for two weeks. They wore most for two days. We did not want to find or use laundry facilities while on the trip. Jim and I followed suit.

One of the first things we did when we got settled in Peterborough was to sit down with the kids and talk about safety on and around boats. We wanted to make sure they knew who was in charge — the captain of the boat, always. We discussed when they would wear lifejackets and what to do, and not do while underway and going through locks. During this talk, Jim also shared an overview of the history and why the Trent Severn Waterway was created.

Take lots of games, drawing materials, and activity starters. We did not allow any tablets, except for the one we always carry to watch movies while anchored out.

Before the trip, ask the kids and their parents what their current food preferences are. Then, come up with a provisioning plan that works for everyone. We took a case of flavored soda water, ones which the kids love, but we limited it to one each, per day. We discussed this ahead of time, so they knew this was part of conserving resources while cruising.

The kids learned what it’s like to go through USA/CANADIAN Customs.

First through customs and soon after, we cross the Mackinac Bridge.

Closer to home and the end of a successful trip with the grandkids.

Grandkids Cruise-Big Chute