Parks Canada is celebrating the official opening of the Trent-Severn Waterway for the 2017 navigation season at Lockfest, which takes place at Lock 32 in Bobcaygeon on Saturday, May 27th.
Lock 32 is the busiest lock at this time of the year, which makes it a perfect location for the celebrations.
Fortunately, Lock 32 is one of the locks which opened on May 26th, after Parks Canada announced the waterway would be opening in stages due to high water conditions in some locations. Lock stations between Burleigh Falls (Lock 28) and Couchiching (Lock 42) are open to boat traffic (Parks Canada will open the other locks to boat traffic when it is safe to do so).
Lockfest takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lock 32 (15 Bolton St., Bobcaygeon). Announced activities include:
- Houseboat tours and “Learn to Lock for Houseboats” seminars from Happy Days Houseboats
- “Learn to Lock” seminars from Buckeye Marine
- a Parks Canada table/tent where you can get your free lockage permit, offered as part of the Canada 150 celebrations
- Parks Canada mascot “Parka” and the Lock Stop Team will be on site to provide information about the waterway, temporary tattoos, and more
- Peterborough’s Mayhemingways and Lindsay’s The Kents will be providing live music.
Parks Canada will also be offering custom coasters, hand made from re-claimed gate logs featuring the Parks Canada logos.
A flag raising ceremony, which includes installing a new Canada flag and a Canada 150 flag at the lock station, will take place at 11:30 a.m. Elected officials, including Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef (on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna) will be attending.
