The By-Cycle Ride starts on Toronto's east side and we are quickly onto quiet paths and roads that follow along Lake Ontario. Our first-day destination is Port Hope, where the Ganaraska River empties into the lake. It's now a quiet village beyond the fringe of Toronto commuter towns and it was a busy Indian gathering place during river salmon runs before European settlement of the continent.
On the way to our next overnight in Belleville we go through Cobourg, birthplace of silent film star Marie Dressler and the location of one of the most architecturally striking town halls in the country.
Belleville is on a series of "reaches" — long and narrow waterways — that separate the mainland from the island that is Prince Edward County.
Belleville is on the mainland and was settled by United Empire Loyalists, those who chose the British side during the American revolution. From Belleville we cross over to Prince Edward County to go through Picton, a bustling community in summer because the island's many beaches are popular vacation destinations.
Our ride into Kingston follows the Loyalist Parkway and we travel along Lake Ontario for much of the way. Kingston was the home town of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister after Confederation in 1867.
Kingston also is the southern terminus of the Rideau Canal system. The canal was built during a huge boom in North American canals during the 19th century. Of the many that were built in that era, the Rideau is the only one that still operates along the same route with much of the same structure that was in place when it opened in 1832. The Rideau Canal was originally conceived as a military route during the tense period of British-American relations that led to the war of 1812. The canal allowed for a protected passage from Montreal along the Ottawa River and then to Lake Ontario.
By the time construction was completed, the war was long over and the Rideau has always been a popular summer tourist route for paddlers and sailors. Like many North American waterways, the Rideau is a combination of rivers, lakes and constructed canals. At Kingston it is the Cataraqui River and entering the Ottawa area it is the Rideau River. In between there are several lakes connected by canal locks.
In Ottawa, the river is not navigable and the Rideau Canal with its locks are a prominent feature of the city. Pleasure boats travel along the canal during temperate seasons and the canal becomes a very long ice rink in winter. Bytown was a rough and rowdy lumber centre before Queen Victoria changed its status as a compromise to settle bickering between politicians in Toronto and Montreal. Today it is a sophisticated city with several world-class public attractions, such as the Museum of Civilization, the National Gallery and the National Arts Centre.
Our ride is complete when we reach Parliament Hill in Canada's capital. After freshening up and dinner we'll head back to the Hill for birthday celebrations on Canada Day.
