Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site of Canada

The River Tamed

The River Tamed.
© Parks Canada / Carolyne Derome

Length : 90 to 120 minutes

Objectives:

Thanks to this program, students will learn about the Coteau-du-Lac canal – the first lock structure to be built in North America – and its role in improving river transport in the 18th and 19th centuries. It will also help them understand the strategy and logistics of the British military command in Canada during the late 18th century and early 19th century and also gain awareness of the Amerindian presence stretching back into paleohistory.

Activities:

• 7000 years ago . Using a talking stick, students are called upon to express themselves on the subject of the way of life of paleohistoric Amerindians at Coteau-du-Lac.
• The 18th and 19th centuries . The enduring or permanent traces left by the French and British during the time of their presence at Coteau-du-Lac – namely, the 'rigolet' canal, the lock canal, the blockhouse, the clover-leaf shaped bastion, and the star-shaped ramparts – are used to prompt students to reflect on the reasons for constructing them.
• Today . Students will take a discovery walk through the various remains on the site using their map and their route plan.
• Souvenir . Students will make a souvenir necklace bearing the image of the three peoples that used Coteau-du-Lac as a point of transit. They may take this souvenir home with them.

M.E.Q. Cross-curricular competencies:

1. To use information
2. To solve problems
3. To exercise critical judgment
4. To use creativity
5. To construct his or her identity
6. To co-operate with others
7. To communicate appropriately

• The Legend of Grinch the Elf
• The Adventurers of the Lost and Found Objects
• Ding-Dong! It's the Museum Calling !
• Programs for Secondary 2 and 4
• Day Camp