TVO Original documentary TRIPPING The Rideau Canal
Apr 7, 2020
If you have four hours to enjoy a fine tour of one of Canada’s most interesting waterways (let’s face it, these days we can all find four hours!) you will love this doc that is boat ride looking at the Rideau as you might yourself.
The start of the journey
Launching in their 1948 mahogany Shepard runabout, Miss Geneva, Randy and Dawn McKendry cast off to begin TRIPPING the Rideau Canal begins just outside of Manotick, Ontario at a 160-year-old gristmill. Miss Geneva heads north; the trip travels through four different lock stations, many of which, remarkably, are still operated by hand with their original equipment from 1832.
The Ottawa lock
The Rideau Canal is operated by Parks Canada and was designated a National Historic Site in 1925 and a UNESCO Heritage site in 2007. Opened in 1832, the Rideau Canal is now a National Historic Site and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Canal is the oldest continuously operated canal in North America.
Randy McKendry is currently the President of the Manotick Classic Boat Club (MCBC), which is a chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS). Dawn serves as a MCBC board member and is the chairperson for their club’s annual boat show. They live in Manotick and have a home on the Rideau River, so the boat is kept right in their back yard.
“We think this was our most important task, to allow the viewer to experience the Rideau Canal without interruption but also give them enough information to have a deep understanding of this important historic waterway,” says Mitch Azaria, Executive Producer at Good Earth Productions, producers of this documentary. “We wanted to do this in a way that did not interrupt the immersive experience. It was a challenge and we think we were successful.”
If you miss the airing tomorrow, Tripping The Rideau Canal is also available to stream anytime across Canada on tvo.org beginning April 10 at 7 pm ET. Well worth enjoying. Editor’s tip – stay to the end of the doc for something quite impressive!
For VR fans 360 Virtual Reality Vignettes
Experience the Rideau Canal in 360° /Virtual Reality technology through six immersive short stories along the waterway. These stories bring a new dimension to the documentary allowing viewers to see the Rideau Canal in a completely new and exciting medium.
• The Ottawa 8 Locks: Take a trip through the 8 locks at the end of the canal system
• Hogs Back Falls: From the air, learn about this spectacular waterfall
• Watsons Mill: See how a 19-century gristmill operates.
• Winter on the Canal: Skate the canal during Winterlude
• Adapting the Rideau: Learn how the Rideau’s purpose has changed over time.
• Over the Rideau: Enjoy the Rideau from the air travelling from Kingston to Ottawa
These six VR-360 mini-docs will be available to the viewer through the TVO website and the documentary’s website.
