IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1^12.8 ■ 50 ^^ 25 2.2 ^ 1^ 12.0 I 1.8 1.25 1 1.4 |,.6 < 6" ► <9 ^ V] /2 cm .> 7: %'"^V ;^ -(S« '/ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. I4S80 (716) 872-4503 'iy\. "^ <^ V U.x % CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical MIcroreproductions / Instltut Canadian de microreproductlons historlques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. 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Les details de uet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniqupn du point de vue bihiiographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiquis ci-dessous. □ Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur I — I Pages damaged/ D D Pages endommag^es Pages restored and/or laminated/ Papas restaur6es et/ou pelliculdes E Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages dScolor^es, tachet^es ou piqu^es □ Pages detached/ Pages ddtach^es Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of print varies/ Quality indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurci< the new route advocatoil for the Ottawa and Uieorgian \k\y Ship Canal. The jiresent route from the Croat J^akes to the sim is through Lake Huron and St. Clair by the l>elri>:t Kiver to Lake Krie, thence by Welland Canal (in Cana^lian territory, but within a few miles of tihe United {States border througliout its entire eouise) into Lake Ontario, whence the Gulf of St. Jjavvrenee is reached by the river of the same name, and its canals in that portion of the Rtroani between Kingston and Montreal. J^'or ithe succossful defenee and ipr;> tection of Canada, military opinion strongly inclinoa to the opinion that the possession of the lakes and an uninterrupted line of communications by wat^er are essential. Jn the event of war with the United Stitcs the very first thing to he done should be to iplac* an adequate thdilla (d" small, "-wift, and heavily-armed gim-boats upon these up])ei' lakes, both to prevent in- cui*sions upon our lake shipping ami also to hohl the t oortaiii be avonso it would its would Unitwl ui> anus :<'8 is by mo iijjuie the wsiv ill rou,:t'li l^ions 1)0 o; caiialH e found lor the the SIM Do; r.KL lal (ill of f;ho ouisc) vvronco ml its iigfstoij I ipr.). iclinos ■•s ajul ^r are StutCfJ place inurd nt in- (I the large and mostly dcfouccletsri cities of ISullalo, L'leve laud, IX'troit, anou the l.iMitci(l Staite>». At jiro^'iit the routi; to ilic i.>ko-i would, in case of war, be very piecario-UH, and it is ex tremely doubtful if the Canadian CJoveninuMit could act eutlieiintly proni) tly to save and hold the Wcll.md and Beauharnois Canals aj^ainst thf powcrlul attack that would uniloubtetlly be (luicUly luade iipnii ihcni by the United States forces. Tlu> United Slates authoiiticnH fully ai]>j>reciiiite the iniiK)i tan< »• of t!ic Welland and what it means to them in the cvent> of war. liut while the odds .-eeni against us, n^t- withstanding that the keys to the situation an; on our ground, still, we have geogr;4)hi'ally, in reserve, one may say, another and mucii more sup.'rior route, which if completed, would place us beyond question in a ;])osition to control the lakes. This is the route by the Ottawa liiver from Montreal, via AlatLawa Kiver (a tributary of the Oltawa), Jjake ^.i[)isaing, and the l^'romh lliver to tlio (Jeorj^dau liay. The route is wholly within our territory, mosit of it hund- reds of miles bax^k from the frontier, would not l>e dillieult of con-struction for medium craft. ro(iuir.nLr only Bome twenty-nine miles of actual canal, and, if completed, would permit of us cone, ntra ting oui* ptiort in time of war upon more likely projects thiit frittering away our strength along a line of canals difficult to defend ami easy of access to the enemy. With a naval depot eatahlished on Jiake Nipissing, the lakes at any time could ue ours in twonty-fniir hours. This could be done wilhout violatinir anv i^. ''4'^ > -■7>,' ^1 ^^ Treaty, as Lake Niipissing is entirely an inland watef, and is not included in the Great Lakes mentioned in the Treaty oi 1818, which provides for the arma- ment which Great Jiritain and the United States Bhall maintain there. This is no radical or erratic scheme, nur is it a new one. As long ago as 1810-11, H.K..H. the Duke of Kent had favorably commented upon the value of such a work. The Great Duke of Wellington was also, if not exactly an advocate, a etaunch friend of the proposition, as was General Sir John JNlichel, one of the ablest and most energetic Commandei's of the Forces ever sent to Canada. At that time, however, settlement in the Canadas was scant and immigration set in along the iSt. Lawrence frontier iind shores oi the Great Lakes, rather than the back woods of tlu' Ottawa an I Lake Kipissing. Time has. however, changed all that. The Kideau Canal, built as an imperial work, for communication with the Lakes, via the Ottawa and La.ke Ontario, was then considered amiple for the ^purpose- -to-day it is comparatively useless. The great natural route, saving hundreds of miles and giving us the whip hand in the Great Lakes, is mthin our territory, with its hundreds of miles of good rivor and lake navigation, requirin;:^ simply to be supplemented by a compara- tively small amount of carnal building proper and river dredging, etc. At present a. company is endeavoring to procure ca-pital to commence this great work, and the benefits to be derived commercially are such that it is reported some English ■capitalists have already signified their willingness to provide funds, if the Government will jissist. There is no question but that the Government of Canada will assist in this work, 1 but tne ultimate results are box d to be ot such Imperial import, that somo assisl:ance, such as was ac- corded in the building of the Rideau waterway, might be given by the Home (Jovermiient. Canada may not have contributed much towards Imperial Defence in direct money votes^ but it mnt be admitted she has done much indirectly. In presenting the Empire with an alternate route to the Orient via the Canadian Pacific Railway, and now, if she undertakes this, in giving Great Britain what must ]w practically the control of the Great Lakes, she will have done much for defence and much for the protection of trade and commerce. This ])r(>j(H't is worthy of Admiralty rccoii- nition and support. More tonnage passed through the Sault Ste. Marie Canal last year than throuy^h tlie Suez, and it is expanding yearly. For the protection of trade and commerce it is felt that the new canal via the Ottawa and Georgian Bay is fiist becoming a necessity.