Historic Rideau Canal in Two Short Films
Historical documentary film maker Allison Margot Smith presented two of her short films to Probus members at the December meeting. She spoke about the importance of imagery in historical films, and the difficulties in finding recorded imagery before the days of photographs and film.
Allison, who divides her time between Ottawa and Rideau Lakes, was assisted by the Township of Rideau Lakes in making the films we viewed: “The Rideau Canal The Big Breakthrough” and “Fettercairn: WWI on Indian Lake”.
The first film documents the raison d’etre behind the building of the Rideau Canal and the choosing of military engineer Lieutenant-Colonel John By to head up the construction.
The film focusses on the “crossing of the isthmus” around Newboro from the Rideau to the Cataraqui watersheds. This isthmus is the highest point of elevation and divides the entire Rideau canal system. Excavating this 1.5 km stretch was a major engineering challenge.
Lieutenant-Colonel By solved the dilemma by using a slackwater system which involved raising the water-level and taking boats over the barrier, rather than tediously digging trenches through bedrock, thus overcoming the dangers of blasting – as well as the danger of losing more men to malaria, which was rife at the time.
The film’s imagery includes evocative water colour paintings by Thomas Burrows, who worked along side Col. By during the canal’s construction (1826-1832.) These paintings were discovered in 1907 and donated to the Archives of Ontario in 1948. These coloured paintings of Miners and Sappers, showed their red military uniforms and their changing details which were dependent on the soldiers’ differing projects. The paintings also captured and documented the activities of the soldiers at work, and the progress of the canal work being done.
The second film, “Fettercairn: WWI on Indian Lake,” is set just north of Chaffeys Lock, in the Township of Rideau Lakes. It documents how the island inherited by Agnes Etherington ( nee Richardson) became a successful hospital for returning soldiers from WWI – The Great War; 1914-1918. These soldiers suffered from PTSD, which at the time was called Shell Shock.
Called Fettercairn, the hospital was first established in the family cottage on Indian Lake, and was later expanded. Inspired by her brother who died in Flanders, Agnes Richardson turned the cottage into a convalescent home for returning soldiers with severe neurological problems.
The Richardson family was one of Canada’s wealthiest at the time and known for their philanthropy.
Hiring nurses, doctors and psychologists, Agnes ensured that the soldiers’ treatment was caring and humane. It included relaxation and outdoor activities such a canoeing, swimming, golfing, and farm animal care. Over the duration of the war, the hospital was expanded onto neighbouring islands. So successful was the hospital that six out of seven patients were able to rejoin society and their families after just a few months. Three hundred soldiers were treated at Fettercairn by the time it closed in 1919.
The imagery in the film made use of original black and white photographs, family documents, and films of the lake, through which we see the life of the soldiers during their stay.
Both these films and others by Allison are easily accessible for viewing on the Historical Society of Ottawa’s website: https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/resources/bytown-200/allison-margot- smith-the-rideau-canal-films
Although retired, Allison plans to continue working on historical films, including those that have links to the Rideau. We thoroughly enjoyed Allison’s presentation – learning more of our local history in a unique and interesting format.
Submitted by Susan Freeman
