A Comparison of Original and Current Photos

Places You Will Recognize

One of the most disappointing things about the Canal is that there are no photos of the waterway in actual operation. There were many photographs taken at the site of Canal locks and dams in the early days of the 20th century because they were so popular for family picnics and canoe races, but that was after the business of the Inland Canal Company had ceased. Much of the fine stone and iron works were already being scavenged for reuse elsewhere in the growing town.

We have a number of other old photos in our library and the NS Museum has many more. New shots will be added here every so often. If you have old photographs of the Canal, we would be pleased to display them too. Just contact us. What follows here is a side-by-side comparison of the early 1910's and the early 2010's; a comparative display of how much has changed, but how much of our heritage is still in tact. That is a testament to the skill of the engineers and stonemasons of the day. 

Some other photos in our collection come with the grateful cooperation of the Dartmouth Heritage Museum. They too have done a tireless job of collecting and preserving what pictorial evidence of the Canal era remains in Dartmouth. 

These first two shots have been taken from Banook Avenue, at the south end of Lake Banook.

These photos are of the venerable old Banook Canoe Club.

Ice harvesting was a major industry for Dartmouth. Today, the ice is just as important for winter recreation.

Lock 2 was a popular picnic site from the very begining of the Canal, and still is today.

This corner has changed dramatically over the years, but Pine Street Extension is destined to be closed, the roadway removed and the watercourse re-established, so the spot could look much the same as it did.