Plan your visit
Cannabis is now legal and regulated in Canada.
Find out how this will affect your visit.
Start your day with a visit to the Sault Ste. Marie Canal and watch pleasure boats rise and lower from one Great Lake to another. Take a guided tour of the Powerhouse to learn about the 19th century engineering that made it all possible, then enjoy a birdwatching hike along the Attikamek trail.
Getting here
Location
1 Canal Drive
Sault Ste. Marie ON P6A 6W4
From Michigan, via the international bridge:
- Turn right onto Huron Street after customs
- Continue through the intersection, staying in the right-hand lane
- Turn left onto Canal Drive
- Follow Canal Drive to the Visitor Centre parking lot in front of the Administration Building
From Highway 17 North:
- Continue from Hwy 17 North into the city
- Hwy 17 North becomes Great Northern Road; Great Northern Road becomes Pim Street
- Follow Great Northern Road / Pim Street to Wellington Street East
- Turn right onto Wellington Street East, staying in the left-hand lane and follow to Elgin Street
- Turn left onto Elgin Street and follow to Queen Street East
- Turn right onto Queen Street East and follow to Huron Street
- Turn left onto Huron Street, staying in the right-hand lane, and follow to Canal Drive
- Turn left onto Canal Drive and follow to the Visitor Centre parking lot in front of the Administration Building
From Highway 17 East:
- Continue from Hwy 17 East into the city
- Hwy 17 East will become Trunk Road
- Follow Trunk Road to the end where it will become Wellington Street East
- Follow Wellington Street East, staying in the left-hand lane, to Elgin Street
- Turn left onto Elgin Street and follow to Queen Street East
- Turn right onto Queen Street East and follow to Huron Street
- Turn left onto Huron Street, staying in the right-hand lane, and follow to Canal Drive
- Turn left onto Canal Drive and follow to the Visitor Centre parking lot in front of the Administration Building
Hours of operation
Open May 14 to October 5
Fees
Starting January 1, 2018, admission to Parks Canada places for youth 17 and under is free! Free lockage in 2018. Other fees still apply.
Detailed fee list.
Facilities and services
Facilities and services details
Quick facts
- Completed in 1895, the Sault Ste. Marie Canal was the world’s longest lock and the only one operated by electricity.
- Take a guided tour, learn the Canal’s history and watch as boaters use the modern lock.
- Enjoy tea at the Canal, become an ‘urban birder’, hike the trails along South St. Marys Island, and visit the gardens surrounding the Superintendent’s Residence.