Waterfalls And Hydro Works

Hydro Ottawa opened up its building at the Chaudiere Falls site for visitors as part of Doors Open. Tours were offered, with twenty people at a time taken through the main building, which can be seen below in the first shot. That meant a line up, but if you wanted to just see the falls themselves, you could walk on through. The tour included the chance to go down that ramp and get close to some of the infrastructure- on a visit a few days later I noted that the ramp was gated off. Regardless, the property is now open for the season to visitors to come up and see the waterfalls.

For a century, this area was largely sealed off to the public, used for industry. Some of the buildings are slowly being taken down, while the area close to the falls have been turned into observation platforms for the falls. Last autumn, the event Miwate was held here, a sound and light show on the waterfalls in the evenings. Now this area will stay open well into the fall, until the cold of winter starts making the platform area treacherous to walk on.

Here we have a view looking downstream from the platform, towards the Chaudiere Bridge. The Ottawa River tumbles through this area, and the main channel serves as a boundary line between provinces.

This bit of equipment was out on display.

And I liked the look of this doorway. I don't know if this building will be here in the long term- its neighbour looks to be in the process of being dismantled.

Here we have views of the falls themselves, tumbling out from the hydro dam behind it. It is a cascade that takes its name from early French explorers- Chaudiere means boiling or kettle or cauldron. Chairs have been set up on the rocks overlooking the falls, and I can tell you from a subsequent visit that sitting in one of those chairs, listening to the roar of the water... can be soothing enough to make you sleepy. Have a look at this video from a return trip I made a few days later. The gulls get a closer view of the water, and can be seen on the rocks.