Summertime At The Waterfall

The Chaudiere Falls was largely cut off from public view for a century; the best view one could get of it was from the Chaudiere Bridge, seen here. The Portage Bridge stands in the background downstream.

Industry and hydro facilities occupied these islands for that century. The industry is gone, with buildings slowly being dismantled and new development going up. But a viewing platform has also been set up to give good views of the falls, dating to 2017. These views look upstream from the first shot.

Work is still ongoing around these islands, and I'm assuming this Slingshot, parked a short walk away, belonged to one of the workers. 

Here we get a proper view of the falls. They take their name from Samuel de Champlain, who first came up this way in 1613. It had other names for the First Nations peoples who lived here from time immemorial. Today a hydro dam behind the falls regulates its flow. While I was here I chatted with a man who had been out here during the high waters of May. He said that the gates had all been open and that the whole basin was full of swirling water.

A variety of plants can be found along the pathway, both wildflowers and things planted in the soil. The viewing platform has been designed to be accessible, something that might not be apparent in these shots. At present, however, with the roadwork taking place nearby, getting here is something of a challenge, and parking is probably best done at the nearby War Museum.

More views of the falls to finish off today. We'll pick up here tomorrow.