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Lachine Canal | Canal de Lachine

The Lachine Canal (Canal de Lachine in French) is a canal passing through the southwestern part of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running 14.5 kilometres from the Old Port of Montreal to Lake Saint-Louis, through the boroughs of Lachine, Lasalle and Sud-Ouest.


The canal gets its name from the French word for China (La Chine). The European explorers dreamed of finding a route from New France to the Western Sea and there on to China and hence auspiciously the region where the canal was build was named Lachine.


The canal has been designated as a National Historic Site, officially named the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site is located near the western end of the canal.


Over the last two decades, the canal has seen a large increase in residential and commercial development. In what was originally a very heavy industrial neighbourhood, Pointe Saint-Charles and Saint-Henri have become very up and coming districts.


In 2002, it was reopened as a pleasure boating area, despite environmental concerns due to heavy industrial contamination of its bottom, and the banks of the canal were redeveloped. An environmental reclamation project continues to clean up old oil spills. The banks of the canal offer bicycling and roller blading. Parks Canada offers guided tours of the canal by foot, bicycle, and boat during the summer months.