<P> Today, only pleasure craft make use of the Rideau Canal . It takes approximately 3--5 days to travel one way through the Rideau Canal system by motor boat . Boat tours of the canal are offered in Ottawa, Kingston, Merrickville, and Chaffeys Lock . A cruise line operates the ship Kawartha Voyageur . Recreational boaters can make use of it to travel between Ottawa and Kingston . Most of the locks are still hand - operated . A total of 45 locks at 23 stations are located along the canal, plus two locks (locks 33 and 34) at the entrance to the Tay Canal (leading to Perth). Furthermore, there are four blockhouses and some of the original 16 defensible lockmasters residences along the waterway . The waterway is home to many species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and fish . </P> <P> In 1973--74 a new Smiths Falls Combined Lock, 29a, was built a few dozen metres to the north of the original flight of 3 locks (locks 28--30). The original locks were bypassed but left in place . </P> <P> The Rideau Canal uses a lock system that is still fully functioning . The gates that let boats travel in and out of the locks last approximately 12--15 years . When the canal was originally constructed, the gates would be made at the lock sites by carpenters and blacksmiths . Today they are made in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and sometimes take up to 2 months to build 1 set of gates . The gates used on the Rideau Canal are made of Douglas Fir and are mitre - shaped to ensure a tight seal due to water pressure . The average Rideau Canal lock lift uses 1.3 million litres (1,300 m; 1,700 cu yd) of water . </P> <P> In normal operations the canal can handle boats up to 27.4 m (89 ft 11 in) in length, 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) in width, and 6.7 m (22 ft) in height with a draft of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) (boats drafting over 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) are asked to contact the Rideau Canal Office of Parks Canada prior to their trip). In special circumstances a boat up to 33.5 m (109 ft 11 in) in length by 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) in width can be handled . </P>

Where does the rideau canal start and finish