Tag Archives: Rideau Canal

Leeds & Grenville Branch – June 2022 Presentation – Life On the Rideau Lakes In the Early Years

Join us on Monday, June 13th at 7:00 pm when local favourite Sue Warren will send us off into summer with Life on the Lakes in the Early Years – what daily life was like in the first two decades after the Rideau Canal was built.

Watercolour of Jones Falls lockstation in 1838. Source: History of Jones Falls lockstation – Rideau Canal National Historic Site (pc.gc.ca)

Life around the Rideau lakes – a discussion of the Rideau Lakes area covering First Nations, European settlement, agriculture, architecture, religion, medicine – daily life in the first half of the 19th century!

Sue is a board member and past chair of the Chaffey’s Lock and Area Heritage Society, and a former Parks Canada historical interpreter.  After teaching for a number of years, Sue retired in 2016 as CEO of the Rideau Lakes Public Library system.  She is also an avid Facebook poster and genealogist!

Everyone is welcome, but registration is required.  You can register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModeyhqjsvGNE-zxmQIXwRkZAG4LZoM8gq.  After registering, you will receive an email with a link to join the presentation.

April 2021 Branch Meeting

Please join us on Monday, April 5th at 7:00 pm as we enjoy a presentation by Sue Warren on The Sweeney Diary.

The diary of Peter Sweeney is the only personal record of a lockmaster on the Rideau Canal. From 1839 until 1850 he faithfully recorded his daily life in South Crosby Township. It remains a great record of life in Leeds County, as well as life in the early days of the canal.

Sue Warren, a graduate of University of Toronto and Queens University, is the retired head librarian of the Rideau Lakes Public Library, as well as the author of two books on Leeds County History.  In the early 1980s she worked as a historical interpreter on the Rideau, where she had the opportunity to transcribe the Sweeney journal from the original source.

Everyone is welcome but you will need to register in advance for our presentation using the Zoom platform.  Click this link to register:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArceqorz8iG9XAzGbL-5F5Q37iBqGknfaN Once registered you will receive an email with a link to join the meeting.

October 2020 Meeting – Online

Online Presentation to the Leeds & Grenville Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, on Friday, October 23rd at 7:00 pm.

Please note that this presentation will take place on a Friday rather than a Monday, our traditional meeting day. 

Join the Leeds & Grenville Branch as they hear from Susan Warren about “The Irish and the Rideau Canal”.  The Irish not only helped build the Rideau Canal but contributed significantly to the development of Leeds and Grenville. Using original paintings and original documents this presentation will explore those themes.