The following article by Michael Prentice appeared in the June 18, 2005 edition of The Ottawa Citizen, Style Weekly Travel and Leisure section, page K9. Cruising the Canal lunching at the locks by Michael Prentice          "Chuckles" and Captain Lance at Jones Falls photo by: Ken W. Watson What did you do? We took a package outing that included lunch at the renowned Opinicon Hotel in the Rideau Lakes and a three-and-a-half-hour boat trip through the heart of the Rideau Canal. How much did it cost? $60 each. Was it worth it? Definitely, considering it included morning coffee and a gourmet four-course lunch at the Opinicon, followed by our own private boat tour through probably the most beautiful scenery and most interesting section of the canal. What was the highlight? There were several, but pride of place must go to the boat trip aboard a vessel built in 1940 for landing lobsters off the coast of Maine. The boat, now renamed Chuckles, is owned and operated by Captain Lance Jervis-Read, a man in his early 60s who is one of the great characters along the Rideau Canal. What was special about it? The boat was about to be scrapped when Jervis-Read bought it almost 20 years ago for $1,500. He estimates he replaced 90 per cent of it with parts from other boats, including handsome mahogany railings and panels. How much did the restoration cost? "I've absolutely no idea, and I don't want to know," says the owner, a boat builder by trade, for whom this restoration was a labour of love. When can I go? During the warm-weather months, Chuckles usually makes two round trips a day between Chaffeys Lock and Jones Falls. This is a stretch of the Rideau Canal that includes lakes and almost-impenetrable wilderness that appears to be no different today from the way it was when the canal was built 175 years ago. Is advance booking necessary? Yes, unless you are lucky enough to arrive at Chaffeys Lock shortly before departure, and there is space aboard. The 10-metre-long boat is very comfortable, with galley and washroom in the bow and lounging cushions at the stern, but it is only licensed to carry eight passengers. Do you have to take the lunch-and-cruise package? No. The cruise alone costs $45, tax included. Children 12 and younger travel for half price. What's the Opinicon Hotel like? It has an air of benign neglect about it, but its patrons seem to like it that way. It was the residence of the Chaffey family in early 19th-century Upper Canada. By the early 20th century, it was an exclusive men's fishing club. The hotel and nearby guest cottages have been owned by the same family since 1921. Today, many patrons are wealthy Americans, who come for the fishing, the peace and quiet and the hearty and ample food. What was lunch like? Excellent. It included a starter, then a little savoury fish dish, followed by a choice of seven main courses. I chose curried chicken with rice in a casserole; my wife had fillet of sole with lemon butter. Other main courses included baked meatloaf with mushroom sauce and turkey a la king. For dessert, there were also seven choices, and we went for layer cake and ice cream in pastry, with chocolate sauce. How much is lunch at the Opinicon if not part of a cruise package? From Monday to Saturday it's up to $15, including tax, for people not staying in the hotel. Lunch is served from noon to 1:30 p.m. The hotel does not have a liquor licence and you can't bring your own booze in. Captain Lance Were there other passengers on the cruise? No, we had Chuckles -- and Captain Lance -- to ourselves. He says he always dresses for the occasion, in the uniform of a 19th-century British naval officer. He looked strikingly like pictures of Lt.-Col. John By, the British army officer who built the Rideau Canal from 1826 to 1832 as a defence against an American attack that never came. What were the cruise highlights? We saw an abundance of wildlife, including nesting ospreys with their young, lots of loons and two beavers. We saw the summer homes of wealthy Canadians and Americans. We passed through two locks each way on our trip to Jones Falls. I have long revered the Rideau Canal's builder, John By. While we were in the locks, I felt more admiration for him than ever. Building the canal was a monumental feat that is most evident in the rugged terrain between Chaffeys Lock and Jones Falls. Any other highlight? Yes, the visit to Jones Falls, where we had a stop of almost an hour before the return journey. It is probably the best place on the Rideau Canal to learn and feel the waterway's history. Exhibits include a working blacksmith's and the furnished, fortified lockmaster's house, where the first lockmaster lived for 40 years while overseeing the four locks at Jones Falls. Knowledgeable guides in 19th-century costume added to the pleasure of our visit. On our return to the boat, Captain Lance had coffee and cookies waiting for us. How do you get there? It's about a 90-minute drive from Ottawa. Take Highway 15 from Smiths Falls and continue past Big Rideau Lake to the turning to Chaffeys Lock. Where can I get more information? For the tour boat, see www.rideauboattours.com or call 1-613-272-0222. For the Opinicon, see www.theopiniconresorthotel.com or call 1-613-359-5233. Michael Prentice is an Ottawa freelance writer.

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