Rideau Canal, Defence, Transport and Recreation (History & Archaeology Series, No. 50)

Ottawa: Parks Canada, National Historic Parks and Sites Branch, 1981. Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket. The interior of the book is clean and tight, with no marks, signatures, or signs of previous use. The illustrated card covers show minor edgewear. Overall, a very nice copy. Synopsis: "This study includes a narrative description of the administrative development of the waterway from its completion in 1832 until 1914. As the region bordering the system became more settled during the 19th century, new issues arose to trouble canal officials. The two most prominent of these - the problem of ensuring adequate water reserves and local demands for branch canals connecting with the Rideau - merit more detailed consideration and for separate chapters. Alterations in the physical structure of the waterway have been treated in chronological fashion with each station discussed individually. Conditions of employment of the operating staff - lockmasters and labourers - also changed over the course of the 10th century, particularly after Confederation as the worker on the waterway were gradually integrated into the federal civil services.