Sault Ste. Marie - we're better by a dam site!

NEWS RELEASE

PARKS CANADA

*************************** Sault Ste. Marie Canal commemorates world's only remaining emergency swing dam

SAULT STE. MARIE - (August 14) - Members of the public are invited to take part in the 100th anniversary celebrations commemorating the successful use of the emergency swing dam during the accident of 1909.

The celebrations will take place at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site on August 28, 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.

Join Parks Canada interpreters as they recount the fascinating details of what went wrong on June 9, 1909, and how the emergency swing dam saved the day.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Photograph was taken at the Sault locks on June 9, 1909, after the steamer Perry G. Walker knocked out the lower gates, releasing a torrent of water that thrust the Walker and two other waiting vessels back into the shipping channel and clear across the river.)

Activities will offer something for everyone including: guided tours; children’s crafts; a collection of historic diving equipment provided by Mike Babiski; and performances by local musician, Alison Newbery.

Other highlights are as follows:

Friday, August 28 - 11 a.m. - Story time on the porch of the Superintendent’s Residence with the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library

Saturday, August 29 - 12 p.m. - Ribbon cutting ceremony for new emergency swing dam, outdoor exhibit Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site of Canada display, face painting, food vendor on site (hamburgers, hotdogs, and pop)

Sunday, August 30 - 12 p.m. Reception in honour of John Diluzio, a local artist, who is donating a painting of the superintendent’s residence. Refreshments will follow.

The emergency swing dam found at the Sault Canal is an engineering marvel and the only remaining such structure in the world.

Of the nine emergency swing dams constructed worldwide, the one in Sault Ste. Marie is the only one to be used in an emergency.

Parks Canada proudly protects and presents this national treasure as an important part of Canada’s heritage.

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