AUGUST 3 - 5, 2024

Lieutenant Colonel John By supervised the construction of Ottawa’s Rideau Canal and had a major influence on its design. Canal construction began in 1826 and involved some 6,000 workers at multiple sites along its 202 km route. The entire length was navigable by 1832. Today, the Rideau Canal is both a National Historic Site of Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In recognition of the history of the Rideau Canal and Bytown’s founder, Lieutenant Colonel John By, and in recognition of his birth date of August 7, 1779, Colonel By Day is celebrated on the first weekend of August each year. 

Join our friends at the Bytown Museum on August 3 - 5 for a day of family-friendly fun with arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, costumed interpreters, a live musical performance, and a ceremony at the Celtic Cross. Visit bytownmuseum.com for details. 

For more information about the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada CLICK HERE to visit the Government of Canada's website.

Image Credit: Artwork by C. W. Jeffreys, ca. 1930-1931 / Library and Archives Canada / C-073703