Shubenacadie Canal Commission

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Shubenacadie Canal Commission We work to provide access and preserve the historic features of the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway.

🔎 One last lock mystery!Take a close look at this old photo and see if you can recognize where we are and what lock this...
10/20/2026

🔎 One last lock mystery!

Take a close look at this old photo and see if you can recognize where we are and what lock this is! Think you know it? Type in before you scroll through.

🔧 Maintenance at Lock 4 – October 20We’re completing some important maintenance work at Lock 4 to help ensure visitors c...
10/19/2026

🔧 Maintenance at Lock 4 – October 20

We’re completing some important maintenance work at Lock 4 to help ensure visitors can continue to enjoy this historic site safely!

The work includes installing safety barriers between the lock and the river. We’ll also be temporarily removing the dock for inspection and maintenance, so it will be unavailable for the day.

We expect all work to be completed by the end of the day. We will post again if this changes. Thank you for your patience as we make these improvements to help keep Lock 4 safe and enjoyable for everyone!

📍 Have you visited Lock 4? In 1976, the site was designated as a protected site under provincial law in recognition of its historical and archaeological significance.

Check out our webpage for more info https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/lock-4

Passionate about the Shubenacadie Waterway? Why not consider applying for a vacancy on the Shubenacadie Canal Commission...
10/16/2026

Passionate about the Shubenacadie Waterway? Why not consider applying for a vacancy on the Shubenacadie Canal Commission?

Deadline to apply is October 20 , 2026 - see below for details.

The Department of Natural Resources has current vacancies on the Shubenacadie Canal Commission. The purpose of the Commission is to oversee and further promote the Shubenacadie Canal System including the operation of any information or interpretive centres pertaining to or belonging to the Shubenacadie Canal Commission.

Applicant Requirements:
• Must be a resident of the Municipality of East Hants, or Municipality of the County of Colchester or HRM
• Interest in the Shubenacadie Canal System and heritage preservation and interpretation.
• General knowledge of how not-for-profit groups function
• Interpersonal skills and communications.

Applicants may apply online Online Applications to Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs) System. Applications will be accepted from Saturday, September 12th, to Tuesday, October 20 , 2026.

For more information please contact:
Web: novascotia.ca/abc
Email: [email protected]
Call: 1-866-206-6844

🕵️‍♀️ A little Canal mystery for you… Let’s see who knows their Shubenacadie Canal history! Can you guess which lock is ...
10/13/2026

🕵️‍♀️ A little Canal mystery for you…

Let’s see who knows their Shubenacadie Canal history! Can you guess which lock is in this old photograph?

📚 Preserving our history!Thanks to funding through the Nova Scotia Student Summer Skills Incentive Program, we welcomed ...
10/07/2026

📚 Preserving our history!

Thanks to funding through the Nova Scotia Student Summer Skills Incentive Program, we welcomed Justin, a Dalhousie University Master of Information student, to the Shubenacadie Canal Commission this summer.

Justin worked on an important project to help preserve our organizational history and improve access to the Commission’s historical records. For a small non-profit, having the time and resources to take on a project like this makes a big difference.

👉 Want to learn more about the project? Read our latest blog post! https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/blog-content/2026/9/11/preserving-our-history-a-summer-of-archival-discovery

🔎 Can you guess which lock this is?Here’s a little piece of Shubenacadie Canal history! Take a close look at this old ph...
10/06/2026

🔎 Can you guess which lock this is?

Here’s a little piece of Shubenacadie Canal history! Take a close look at this old photo and see if you can recognize the lock.

Do you know where it is? Answer can be found on the 3rd slide.

📢 FAIRBANKS CENTRE CLOSURE NOTICE 📢The Fairbanks Centre will be closed to the public tomorrow while we complete building...
10/01/2026

📢 FAIRBANKS CENTRE CLOSURE NOTICE 📢

The Fairbanks Centre will be closed to the public tomorrow while we complete building repairs.

📅 Friday, October 2

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we take care of a few improvements. We look forward to welcoming you back on Monday!

🚧 Trail Closure – Saturday, October 3Please note: the SCC-managed trail in Shubie Park, west side of the Deep Cut (IKEA ...
10/01/2026

🚧 Trail Closure – Saturday, October 3

Please note: the SCC-managed trail in Shubie Park, west side of the Deep Cut (IKEA side), will be closed on Saturday, October 3 for some maintenance work. Signage will be posted.

🌿 The good news? It’s just this section of trail that will be closed — the rest of Shubie Park’s trails remain open and ready to enjoy!

Thanks for your patience while we get a little maintenance work done! 😊

In addition to the red squirrel, chipmunks are another fixture at many of our sites. As fall approaches, you may notice ...
10/01/2026

In addition to the red squirrel, chipmunks are another fixture at many of our sites. As fall approaches, you may notice that they are more active. This is due their food hoarding habits.

Chipmunks enter their burrows in the fall and remain there in torpor for the duration of the winter. Torpor is similar to hibernation but involves waking periods where the chipmunk will feed. This process requires a large store of food. Chipmunks will begin an aggressive hoarding cycle in the late summer and fall, stocking piling the food in their burrows. Their diet is comprised primarily of nuts, seeds, tubers and fruit.

If you’re out exploring this fall, you will no doubt encounter these charming chipmunks. Keep an ear out for their signature "chuck" and you will know where to find them.

Have fun out there and be safe!

Adirondacks Forever Wild (2026). “Mammals of the Adirondacks: Eastern Chipmunk”. Wild Adirondacks. Retrieved September 5, 2026 from https://wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-mammals-eastern-chipmunk-tamias-striatus.html

When the canal project commenced in 1826, a large workforce was needed to meet the demand for massive excavations and lo...
09/29/2026

When the canal project commenced in 1826, a large workforce was needed to meet the demand for massive excavations and lock construction. Rising to the challenge were hundreds of stonemasons and laborers, the majority of whom had immigrated from Scotland and Ireland.

The story of these workers is inspiring. They boarded ships with little more than the clothes on their backs and dreams of a plentiful life in a mysterious new land. After a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic, they arrived in Nova Scotia, only to be met with new challenges. Canal construction involved back-breaking work, especially in areas like “the deep cut” in Shubie park where bedrock had to be removed hand. It is amazing what they were able to accomplish with very little means.

Unfortunately, this was a case where hard work was not rewarded. Due to the project’s significant cost overruns, many workers stopped receiving their wages. This plunged them into hardship, as they were struggling to feed their families. Nevertheless, these hard workers perservered, finding new employment throughout Halifax and Dartmouth.

Today their descendants number in the thousands. It is amazing how unwavering spirits can shape history and set the stage for new stories in the years to come.

Address

54 Locks Road
Dartmouth, NS
B2X2W7

Telephone

(902) 462-1826

Website

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