Repairs to the Kirkfield Lift Lock: Modified Lockages for Through Traffic Only

Lock 36 Kirkfield

Sept 26. 2022

Parks Canada advises that the Kirkfield Lift Lock will begin single-chamber lockages for through traffic only beginning on Monday, September 26, 2022.

On September 2, 2022, the Kirkfield Lift Lock suffered a mechanical failure, resulting in the site’s closure. Since then, Parks Canada team members have been on-site, working diligently to address the issue to allow for the passage of vessels to their home ports. After multiple inspections by qualified consultants on the superstructure and mechanical components, the Lift Lock has been approved to offer limited, single-chamber lockages to vessels returning to their home ports that cannot be trailered.

These modified lockages will be conducted beginning on Monday, September 26, 2022, and delays experienced by boaters will vary depending on the position of the Lift Lock chambers when the boater arrives. Boaters (and pets) will be asked to disembark their vessels while the transfer is underway.

Still, access to washroom facilities and shelter (in the case of inclement weather) will be made available. Vessels going up will experience a lockage time of approximately six (6) hours, while downbound vessels will experience a lockage time of approximately 30 minutes.

If your vessel cannot be trailered and you need to return to your home port, it is mandatory that you contact us as soon as possible by email at trentsevern@pc.gc.ca. Please include your full name, phone number, length and beam of your vessel, your current location, your home port and any additional special needs that our lock team needs to be aware of, such as accessibility issues. Parks Canada team members will be in touch via telephone to confirm and provide you with a time for your lockage.

Given that there are no amenities within walking distance of the site (restaurants, accommodations, etc.), please do not arrive at the Lift Lock until the date and time agreed to with our team. In addition, you are encouraged to ensure that you have sufficient provisions for the duration of your vessel’s lockage. While the parkland around the Lift Lock will remain closed to the public, you can use that space while your vessel is locked through.

Visitor safety, as well as the safety of our team members, is of the utmost importance to Parks Canada – delays with this process may occur, and we appreciate your understanding and patience.

Related Articles

Video Gallery

Starcraft SV 16 OB

By Craig Ritchie

Photos by Starcraft Marine

Building great boats has always come down to a mix of art and science, and that’s particularly true when it comes to meeting the biggest challenge of all—creating an appealing yet affordable family runabout. Buyers want a boat that is affordable but not stripped to the bare bones.

Enter Starcraft and its delightful SV 16 OB, an all-new-for-2025 family deck boat that elegantly balances comfort, amenities and affordability.

Read More

Destinations

The Erie Canal – An Extraordinary Waterway

By Mark Stevens

Photos by Sharon Matthews-Stevens

As I shift our chartered canal boat into neutral, I’m soothed by the soundtrack of bird calls, the occasional plaintive horn of a distant train and the hum of our engine.

I reach for the VHF to radio the lockmaster in charge of Erie Canal’s Lock 32 dead ahead. Our boat spins gently in the current like a maple key in a mud puddle.

“This is Onondaga,” I say. “Headed westbound and requesting passage.”

Read More

Lifestyle