Friday, April 18, 2025
The Government of Canada announced $7.4 million in federal funding for critical infrastructure improvements to stabilize and conserve the historic Powerhouse building at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site.
The Powerhouse building allowed the Sault Ste. Marie Canal to be the first electrically operated lock in the world and is the reason for the designation as a national historic site. This heritage building is undergoing significant structural stabilization work to remediate its deterioration, largely through groundwater mitigation efforts and other improvements including conservation, rehabilitation, and construction initiatives. Work at the Powerhouse began in late December 2023 and is expected to continue for approximately two years.
Phase one of the Powerhouse project began in 2019, with $6.3 million in federal funding to begin investigative work, which included removing some existing infrastructure to thoroughly explore and understand the water infiltration issues, and to assess future needs to remediate this heritage building. With today’s announcement, the total federal investment for the Powerhouse building is approximately $13.8 million.
“The Government of Canada is committed to investing in the conservation of Canada’s built heritage and supporting local economies and growth in the tourism sector. The Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site is undertaking a large revitalization project on the historic Powerhouse building to ensure its sustainability and longevity for future generations. By ensuring the sustainability of Parks Canada administered places, the government is supporting local economies, contributing to the growth of sustainable tourism, and strengthening their appeal as destinations to celebrate our country,” said Terry Sheehan, MP for Sault Ste. Marie.
Other significant infrastructure investments have been completed at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site over the past eight years. Federal funding has been provided for numerous projects at the site, including the restoration and protection of the site’s Powerhouse building, Stores building and associated structures, repairs to the Superintendent’s Residence, the design and repaving of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site’s entry road and the creation and opening of a new Visitor Centre and exhibit space.
Parks Canada’s wide-ranging infrastructure portfolio includes approximately 18,000 built assets such as highways, bridges, dams and other marine infrastructure, historic buildings and fortifications, water and wastewater treatment facilities, campgrounds, visitor centres and operational buildings. Since 2015, the federal infrastructure investment program has enabled Parks Canada to improve the condition of approximately 5,000 assets across the country.
Featured image: Terry Sheehan, MP for Sault Ste. Marie (right); and Brendan Hodgson, Technical Services Officer for Parks Canada, in front of the Powerhouse building site at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site. (Parks Canada)
