The two lift locks, the other is at Peterborough, are marvels of early twentieth century 
engineering, they are both over one hundred years old. The principal is a huge hydraulic ram that lifts a tub of water. The secret is that there are two pans and their hydraulic rams are cros
s connected. The cross connection is closed, the ends of the tubs fold down to allow boats access, and when they are loaded, the ends closed; the cross connection is opened and since the upper 
chamber has been loaded with an extra foot of water it becomes a giant teeter-totter. 
Here are pictures of the far chamber up and the
near down and then reversing their positions. Although the total time is longer because of opening and closing of valves and adding water when the chamber reaches the top, the actual 
travel time to go up 47 feet was just over two minutes. The size of the tank is 100 feet by 30 by 6 feet deep, note the lock attendants in the red shirts in the pictures for reference. There is also
a road that runs under the approach to the upper end of the chambers.
Monday morning it was our turn. The pictures are looking forward and back as we entered the chamber, then Diana looking off the back, looking forward and back after we reached the top and finally looking down at the road as we exit the chamber. Amazingly the chambers go down into a pit that although below water level is dry. On the shady moist wall of this pit is a healthy growth of ferns.
The final picture is looking back as we leave the lock; in the middle distance are guard gates that
can be closed to stop water from reaching the 
lock. This is done for maintenance and in the winter to dry the system out and prevent ice 
damage. In 2005 Diana and I cruised on the Kawartha Voyager, a cruise boat that plies these 
waters. The company has an arrangement with Parks Canada that they but the boat behind the guard gate and when the water is drained they 
have their vessel in dry dock for the winter.
engineering, they are both over one hundred years old. The principal is a huge hydraulic ram that lifts a tub of water. The secret is that there are two pans and their hydraulic rams are cros
s connected. The cross connection is closed, the ends of the tubs fold down to allow boats access, and when they are loaded, the ends closed; the cross connection is opened and since the upper 
chamber has been loaded with an extra foot of water it becomes a giant teeter-totter. 
Here are pictures of the far chamber up and the
near down and then reversing their positions. Although the total time is longer because of opening and closing of valves and adding water when the chamber reaches the top, the actual 
travel time to go up 47 feet was just over two minutes. The size of the tank is 100 feet by 30 by 6 feet deep, note the lock attendants in the red shirts in the pictures for reference. There is also
a road that runs under the approach to the upper end of the chambers.
Monday morning it was our turn. The pictures are looking forward and back as we entered the chamber, then Diana looking off the back, looking forward and back after we reached the top and finally looking down at the road as we exit the chamber. Amazingly the chambers go down into a pit that although below water level is dry. On the shady moist wall of this pit is a healthy growth of ferns.
The final picture is looking back as we leave the lock; in the middle distance are guard gates that
can be closed to stop water from reaching the 
lock. This is done for maintenance and in the winter to dry the system out and prevent ice 
damage. In 2005 Diana and I cruised on the Kawartha Voyager, a cruise boat that plies these 
waters. The company has an arrangement with Parks Canada that they but the boat behind the guard gate and when the water is drained they 
have their vessel in dry dock for the winter.
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