CANADA'S BIG CANAL

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 7

CANADA'S BIG CANAL

'.:.-; .'..■;';',':, [';', r '„ y.".'.,.'..., f-" : . --' ' "'. .'-,!/ ~THE;; I ?mANCIAL BBAKE., .-■ By Tolcerapli—Press ,is6ooiation-Copyrij!ht ' •'■'■; '■•:.':.-•.'-.', ,'Ottawa, -February 16.' ; The Canadian Minister of /Finance,- the. Hon.';W: .S. 'Fielding, speaking- -in! the Dominion House of ' Commons,' during; a >debate' on' the; proposed .Georgian;- Bay oanal, ; said it was a thing, which Canada must soon, undertake, but it- was. of the utmost,importance to maintain her'; high credit in the British; money market. Canada, he reminded his hearers, already had heavy; obligations.. ,':;;■.■•-•''■ ; . \'l,. \;':'"/^ t6 cost; over twenty millions. In a speech'.: last year,,: Sir, Wilfrid : Laurier referred'to ,th'o Grand Trunk'railway and'.the .Georgian Bay canal as great nationali.works; but. doubted if, in, view of the state of the,finances, Canada could have, both' at. once. Some- of- the latest figures, about the;. Georgian, .Bay,:canal, which, is estimated, to cost over .twenty millions, ■ were published in Tub Dominion of January 5. 'In that account the following appeared:— '~-.;.'... •',:.. .' .."It is, only when'; the - canal : is regarded from an.engineering. point.of. view that, the real. difficulties become apparent. Of the;44o miles from Montreal toiGeorgian Bay, only 28 would.be actual excavation,-, ana the remaining. 412 miles follow the oourse of : some river or lake. : But the total - difference of level .is ■ no. iless -than oD7ft.—6s9ft.'from : Montreal;i ; to : summit level, and then a-drop from sum'mit.level to Georgian Bay of 98ft.—necessitating the construction,of 27, or.-28 locks, 1 with lifts varying from five to fifty feet'.'.The. ■highest single lift would be fifty feet, but there woNild be several others of from 30 to 35ft.'<; . '.■;,:'■:.;.,-.:"..:: "--.-