Legacy in Stone: The Rideau Corridor
Stretching some 200 kilometres between Kingston and Ottawa, Canada, the Rideau Corridor encompasses fields and forests, lakes and river towers and villages- a wealth of rural charm. At its heart, the Rideau Canal connects a series of rivers and lakes to create one of the most picturesque waterways on the continent. And underlying this landscape is the Canadian Shield - rock dating back 570 million years. Remarkable in age, colour, configuration and immensity, this rock inspired the creation of some magnificent manmade structures.
Throughout the nineteenth century, hundreds of buildings were constructed of stone, because of its availability and because of the number of skilled masons who remained in the area after their work on the Canal was completed. Long regarded as the ultimate in building materials, stone was favoured especially for those structures designed to impress and endure. It could be used in its natural form or cut, carved and polished for wide ranging usage - from foundations of rough coursed rubble to elegant walls of smooth ashlar, from large and important statues to delicate ornamental detailing. Each of these structures, from the humblest cottage to the Rideau Canal itself, has a dignity of design and an integrity of construction, and each provides a tangible history of the Rideau Corridor. They speak not only of the technical skills of the stonemasons but also of their hopes and faith in the future, carved out of the bedrock of their homeland - a true legacy in stone.
Legacy in Stone - published by Stoddard 1999
