TheLachine Rapids (French:Rapides de Lachine) are a series ofrapids on theSaint Lawrence River, between theIsland of Montreal and theSouth Shore. They are confusingly located near the borough ofLasalle and notLachine.The Lachine Rapids contain largestanding waves because the water volume and current do not change with respect to the permanent features in the riverbed, namely its shelf-like drops. Seasonal variation in the water flow does not change the position of the waves, although it does change their size and shape. The rapids are about 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) in length.In the past these represented a considerable barrier to maritime traffic. Until the construction of theLachine Canal through Montreal, the rapids had to beportaged. Even with the canal, the difficulty was such that it was usually more convenient to ship goods by rail to Montreal, where they could be loaded at the city's port. Montreal remains a major rail hub and one of Canada's largest ports for that reason.
The Lachine Rapids are now passed by the South Shore Canal (Saint-Lambert and Côte Sainte-Catherine locks) of theSaint Lawrence Seaway.
The rapids contain a number of islands used bymigratory birds.[1]
The first European to see the rapids wasJacques Cartier, who sailed up theSt. Lawrence River in 1535, believing he had found theNorthwest Passage. In 1611,Samuel de Champlain named the rapids Sault Saint-Louis, after a teenaged crewman named Louis who drowned here; the name later extended toLac Saint-Louis. This name remained in use until the mid-19th century, but later came to be replaced by the name of the adjacent town of Lachine.[2] The name "Lachine" itself is derived from the French name for China - La Chine.[3]
The first Europeans known to have traveled above these rapids were Champlain andÉtienne Brûlé on 13 June 1611. Brûlé continued upriver to live among theAlgonquin, while Champlain himself would not travel further up theOttawa River until May 1613.Louis Jolliet's July 1674 canoe accident in the rapids destroyed his official report on the existence of theMississippi River, and raised the standing of his fellow explorerJacques Marquette.[4]
The first person to design a ship capable of shooting the Lachine Rapids was shipbuilder and carpenter John McQuaid, a native ofCounty Armagh, Ireland who later settled inKingston, Ontario with his family.[citation needed]
Whitewater rafting and jet boat expeditions to the rapids are available in Montreal.Whitewater kayaking has become popular, along withriver surfing, on astanding wave adjacent to the Habitat 67.(45°30′00″N73°32′31″W / 45.50000°N 73.54194°W /45.50000; -73.54194).[5][6][7]
The city maintainsDes Rapids Park which doubles as bird sanctuary and a place for visitors to appreciate the rapids.
