Dow's Lake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dow's Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Ottawa |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | artificial lake |
| Primary inflows | Rideau Canal |
| Primary outflows | Rideau Canal |
| Basin countries | Canada |
Dow's Lake in Ottawa, Canada is a tiny man-made lake on the Rideau Canal, situated two kilometers north of Hog's Back Falls in the middle of Ottawa, near many of the city's attractions. It is at the south end of Preston Street, just south of Carling Avenue, and just to the west of Bronson Avenue.
In May, the surrounding park is the main site of the tulip displays for the annual Tulip Festival. Boat displays, fireworks and busker entertainment also take place there.
During the winter, Dow's Lake freezes and becomes part of the world's longest skating rink and one of the primary sites of the Winterlude festival in February, with events such as the 'bed races' and 'waiter races' on the ice.
At the south end of the lake is Carleton University, and to the west is the Dominion Arboretum, at the edge of the Central Experimental Farm.
Two scenic drives along the canal pass to either side of the lake. The Queen Elizabeth Driveway, named after the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (who travelled along it during the 1939 royal visit) runs beside the north and west sides of the lake. The Colonel By Drive, named after the founder of the city, Lieutenant-Colonel John By, runs beside the south side of the lake.
At the north end of the lake a pavilion is situated over the water with two restaurants overlooking the water. Other services of the pavilion include canoe and paddle boat rentals, boat mooring and an indoor change area for skating. It is open year-round.
Situated next to the pavilion on the western shore is Canadian Forces Reserve Barrack Dow's Lake. This installation, opened in 1943, is home to HMCS Carleton and 30th Field Regiment(RCA). Units of the Canadian Naval Reserve and Canadian Army Reserve respectively.
A 4.6 m replica of The Man With Two Hats (original statue is in Apeldoorn, Netherlands) commemorates the role Canadian forces played in the liberation of the Netherlands, and faces the lake to symbolize the historic links between Canada and the Netherlands.
A, formerly Canadian Pacific, rail tunnel passes under the lake. The OC Transpo 'O-Train', a light-rail transit system, is the primary user. This tunnel replaced a rail line that once crossed the lake on the surface. To adapt to future expansion projects for the O-Train, a second rail is being placed by 2009 and this tunnel will be blasted to make room.
The lake is named after Abram Dow who owned land in this area at one time. Before the construction of the Canal, this area was known as Dow's Great Swamp. The lake was created when a dam was constructed along the north shore (Queen Elizabeth Driveway is atop the dam) to allow flooding for the canal. Originally, the Rideau Canal was to run north from Dow's Lake, but land speculation, and Colonel By's reluctance to reward such speculation, resulted in the current location of the canal. In past years, the parkland to the north and east was rail yards into the 1940's and the area was quite industrial.
