A few weeks ago, we noticed the system operators had already lowered the dam on the stretch of the canal near our cottage to allow the water to flow through. Here is an overview of the hours of operation for the Trent-Severn locks in 2015.

May 15 to June 18 Monday to Thursday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Friday to Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Victoria Day: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

June 19 to September 7 Monday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Friday to Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Canada Day, Civic Holiday, and Labour Day: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

September 8 to October 12 Monday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Saturday to Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Lock stations are unstaffed after hours. Please exercise caution. Unpermitted access to lock stations is prohibited between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Last lockage Please follow these guidelines to heighten your chances of being locked through at the end of the day:

• Arrive in your vessel at the designated blue zone at least 30 minutes before closing time.
• If you arrive at a swing bridge, remember the last bridge swing will be 20 minutes prior to closing time.

Other things to remember

• Station opening and closing times – as well as first and last lockage – are not guaranteed. Water management duties, maintenance activities, or other navigation interruptions, may affect these times.
• Lock staff will provide you with tips and information on locking through safely.
• Mooring and camping space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need a valid mooring permit to moor a vessel overnight at a lock station or bridge station. However, a valid mooring permit does not guarantee a docking space.
• Seasonal overnight mooring permits are valid for use at Thousand Islands National Park, Georgian Bay Islands National Park, and Fathom Five National Marine Conservation Area. (If you use a campsite, you must also pay a camping fee.)
• Boaters often use blue lines for additional mooring spaces following the day's last lockage. However, you must move your vessel off the blue line before the lock opens the next day.
• You may raft a vessel at lock and bridge stations from the close of navigation for the day to opening the next morning. Boaters on the wall are not required to accept rafting. Rafted vessels are charged the same mooring fee as vessels on the wall.
• Vessels that have reached the maximum length of stay cannot return to the same wharf or wall for 48 hours unless directed otherwise by lock staff.
• Camping at lock stations is primarily for boaters and is unavailable to land-based users with tents or self-contained motor vehicles. Cyclists and trail hikers may camp at selected lock stations if they purchase a camping permit.
• Vessels towing an aluminium or fiberglass boat, rubber dingy or personal watercraft will need a lockage permit for the towed craft regardless of its size or whether it has an engine. You will also need a mooring permit for the towed vessel. You must pay a 12-foot minimum rate for all permits for a vessel that is 12 feet in length or less.
• Permits are only valid during the year of issue and are not transferable or refundable.
• You must affix a seasonal lockage, mooring or transit decal to the vessel.
• You must have your other permits available for verification or validation by lock staff.
• For after-hour emergencies (police, firefighters or ambulance), please call 911.
• To report illegal harvesting of fish or wildlife, please call the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry TIPS line at 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667).

Maximum overnight mooring periods Maximum mooring periods vary at lock stations and bridge stations. They are as follows:

• One night - Locks 28, 30, 31, 34, and 42
• Five nights - Locks 1 to 18
• Two nights - All other lock stations, Murray Canal swing bridges, and bridge 50.

Overnight mooring passes include one free camp site. Electrical hook-ups and showers

• Lock 6 offers electrical hook-ups and showers nearby
• Lock 34 offers electrical and water hook-ups

Nautical charts You may purchase a nautical chart during the navigation season at locks 1, 18, 36, 42, and 45. Nautical charts are also available for purchase at the Peterborough Lift Lock visitor centre gift shop.

CN Swing Bridge above Lock 42 Expect delays at this bridge. Trains are frequent, and they have priority over vessel traffic. Clearance, when the bridge is closed, is approximately 3.96 metres or 13 feet. The Trent-Severn Waterway, which is under the jurisdiction of the federal government, is managed by Parks Canada. For information about the operation of the system, including maintenance, technical queries or special requests, please contact the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site by email at ont.trentsevern@pc.gc.ca or phone 705-750-4949.

Photo courtesy of Robert Linsdell No Alterations Made - Creative Commons