Dive sites

This map is of Black Donald. It is a sunken graphite mine town, shown above as it was in 1951. The curved lines represent the current shore line, the bar at the bottom a barrage. The new water level is about 45 feet higher than the original lake.

From 1895 to 1954, the Black Donald Graphite Mine was one of the richest in the world, and the only one in North America to produce high-quality graphite suitable for lubricants. During peak production, post World War I, the mine accounted for 90% of all the graphite extracted in Canada. Named after local lumberman, Black Donald McDonald, the mine suffered its share of disasters. In 1901, lake waters rushed into the workings, and in 1917, fire destroyed the mill. Although the mill was rebuilt on higher ground, lake water damaged the workings again in 1950. Production ceased in 1954, and in 1967 the headpond of Ontario Hydro's Mountain Chute dam flooded the site one last time. Today, a ghost town of some sixty buildings lies under the waters of Black Donald Lake, west of Calabogie.

This map shows the area around Lock 21. It dates from the turn of the century. The blue area represents the original water levels and the green areas represent the current land. The white areas represent flooded land.

Lock 21 is visible to the left of centre, just off the tip of the island. At the left edge is the old Dickinson's Landing. You can see that one could happily do a ten minute drift down the canal from Lock 21 and still exit on the island. More interesting is the old barrage further to the East. I haven't dove this yet; I'll try it one day with a boat. Further still to the East is the town of Moulinette. Another boat dive to be undertaken.

Entrance is from the left by the road. The green lines represent the current shore line. Of great intererst on this site is the outer front lock gate, which is still upright and in place.

Current on this site is strong and if you wish to return to the entry point, you must either haul yourself along lines laid by your's truly and others or swim North-West where you will rise to 10 feet and be out of current. You can then easily swim back or even walk out in the shallows.

This is of course directly in front of Morrisburg. Just park in the modern parking lot by the jetty and jump in. It takes a couple of minutes to swim out over the shallow part to the lock proper. Exit is downstream by the beach and washrooms.

Conversely, you can enter upstream by the New Pump House. A trip over the canal and you can visit the Old Pump House remains. Drift down the outer side and you come to the hydro power station. After this, drift along the canal for 10 minutes and then head in, you should end up by the jetty.

A dive in 2-3 knot current with 15 foot viz would not normally be considered good. But these are often the conditions on the laker Eastcliffe Hall, off Crysler Marina.

This map indicates the position of the wreck of the Eastcliffe Hall with respect to your boat launching at Crysler Marina. It is located by Crysler Shoal. Also indicated, to the right of the map, is the approximate location of another wreck. However, as this is in the shipping channel, it can only be dove out of season, which I have yet to do. Depths are given in this map in metres, one metre = 3¼ feet. They are also the minimum depths to be found; the Eastcliffe Hall lies in 60 feet. The wreck is normally buoyed but care must be taken, especially if you drift off the wreck, as it is right on the edge of the shipping channel. The ship is enormous, 350 foot long, and you traverse the vessel through the holds as they provide shelter from the current. The holds are cavernous and open and quite safe to swim through, just keep a patch of light in view, unless trained for wreck penetration.

Although I have had 45 foot plus of vis here, it generally has poor viz and often it is not possible to see the ship at all when in the middle of a hold. However, as one moves forward through the holds, forms slowly emerge. A trip to the screws and rudder is fun, leaping over the stern. The current immediately behind the stern is zero and low adjacent to the exterior hull.

PS. Do not do what I did on one dive here. Don't forget to take your gloves with you as those zebra mussels are sharp. Ouch, ooo, ee, ouch.

The above map shows the section of river between the hydro barrage at Cornwall and Lock 21, off screen to the left. The land here was flooded around 35 feet when the barrage was built; depths are given in feet and represent minimums, generally add another 20 -25 feet here.

The sites shown, from East to West, are Lock 20. This will be like lock 21 but deeper, about 75 feet bottom; it will have a current around 1-2 knots. I haven't dove this site yet though am hoping to this year. This should only be considered if you are extremely experienced due to its proximity to the barrage half a mile away. Next, to the left, is the swing bridge; I'll put a photo up later of the bridge before the area was flooded. Then comes the Mille Roches Power House. It still contains generating equipment but should only be penetrated with lines, lights and training. A picture of it before the flood is available on Jean Langlois' page. This, along with the next site, the control dam, are buoyed and always popular. As with most sites East of Cardinal, viz is around 15-25 feet, due to silt mostly, and the current is around 1 knot.

After having dove the Power House, a couple of short dives are relaxing. They are the Belly Dumper and utility barge, located by the two small circles 2nd and 3rd from the left on the map. Both dives are short as there is not a lot to see. The belly dumper is a dark site; the dumper has three hoppers in its hull for dumping, and lays on its side in 86 feet. You can swim through the middle hopper. Further inshore, in about 45 feet is what looks initially like an old jetty. In fact it is a utility barge; rectangular with flat ends, boiler and two steam winches. No idea what it is but it is fun exploring. Both these dives can be done on one 80 cubic foot tank.

Further West is the town of Moulinette, which I still have to dive. There is also, as yet unmarked on the map, the schooner Cornwall, which lies off Moulinette Island somewhere. I hope to dive this soon.

This is a new and interesting site. I first heard a rumour of a lost tunnel in 2004. I got all available information I could from The Lost Villages Society, Ghostownpix and The Stormant, Dundas & Glengary Historical Society

Referring to the above map, the site lies between Lakeview Heights Park and Bergin Island; the causeway is shown by the red line; the tunnel is at the North end of this line. Compare this with the earlier map of Lock 21. That map was made around 1910 or 1920. As you can see, there is no sign of anything.

This map is in fact very accurate, except for the number of bridged gaps in the causeway and also that it was created before it was flooded. I have produced the following map that relates the causeway to the Lock 21 map above.

There are several major features, but the one best used to locate all others is the causeway. This was constructed over this branch of the river in the early 19th century. It was used to get to Sheik Island to graze animals and to get to the woollen mill at the South end. Following is a sketch of part of the causeway.

The causeway is about 250 feet long. It was built over the narrowest and shallowest part of the river. Given it is about 8-10 foot high, the water depth could only have been about 6 foot; with the large rocks around, the river must gave been very similar to the Ottawa river by the Champlain Bridge today. The causeway is constructed from large timbers filled in with rocks and earth and a surface made on top. Today, silt has filled in behind the causeway but the strong current has kept the upstream side clear. It is about 15-20 feet wide. The low elevation of the causeway makes it very difficult to locate with a depth sounder.

When the causeway is located, following it North brings you to the Grist Mill. This is shown in this potograph, taken from the causeway.

The first floor is complete and the second floor remains up to the window sills. However, over 100 years of silt and rubble have encroached on the lower 6 feet. Inside is not as bad and there appears to be remains of the mill machinery; to be explored further. Exploring the inside of the grist mill provides a nice respite from the current.

Following the causeway further North, one arrrives at the canal. This was the original canal, built mid-19th century (does anyone have the actual date?). It was 8 feet deep and, to allow access to the causeway and mills, a tunnel was put underneath it at this spot. This tunnel still exists, with huge stone faces and retaining walls. Once again, silt and rubble of over 100 years has blocked the entrances.

Standing in the park at Lakeview Heights and looking South towards Bergin Island, a slim pointed island which is now home to Cormorants, 2500 feet into the river, just slightly upstream is where the tunnel is. This is not swimmable and even with a scooter, it is very difficult to find due to current, visibility and navigational problems, the bottom being confused undulations and silt.

On a boat in mid-stream, the causeway can be found in a line between the end of Bergin Island and the red brick building in the park. Once found, you must go upstream 300 feet to make a free descent and drift onto the causeway.

The best way to dive this site is from Bergin Island. From the tip, head straight North and down. You will come to the upstream of the casueway or the channel at right angles to the causeway. If the latter, which is more common, then just follow up the channel, or far bank of it, and there is the causeway. If you turn downstream in this channel, you come to the basement and ruins of the woollen mill, which aren't so interesting.

Things to remember are: The original river bottom is at a depth of 65 feet, and more downstream; the original land and causway are at 55 feet; the post-1902 land at 35 feet and the canal itself around 40-45 feet in the bottom.

There is stiff current so be prepared to be picked up by boat after making a drifting ascent; a surface marker buoy is needed for this, as well as surface support in the boat.

One of the pleasures of diving is to explore new sites, possibly even ones that have never been diven before. Such was today's expedition to the Hoople Creek Bridge.

Where is Hoople Creek you are asking? Or more precisely, where was Hoople Creek. For those who are familiar with Lock 21, it is upstream three islands. Just West of Dickinson's Landing, Hoople Creek flowed into the fresh, warm, visible. Old highway 2 crossed this creek by bridge.

Longitude 74 degrees 55' 32.7" West
Latitude 44 degrees 59' 24" North

This is really a boat dive as it is 1500 feet from any suitable entry point on shore. Fortunately us four had 200 cubic foot of air and three scooters so we could enter from the East side of Hoople Island by the causeway. I was in tow, not yet owning a scooter :-( Even so, it took 15 minutes to get there.

We entered through grass and headed to the bottom of the old creek and turned South, following the bottom. Eventually, our uncertainty of finding the bridge (perhaps it was no longer there) was dispelled by a looming darkness ahead of us. The Bridge!

It is a concrete structure, which probably explains why it was not removed when the Seaway was constructed. The surface of the road is at 30 feet and the creek bottom is at 40-45. The road is about 20 foot wide (I didn't measure it) and about 50 foot long; the creek itself is about 30 foot wide.

Even though concrete (I believe) it has the form of an iron bridge. Balustrades are on each side, about 3 feet high but of much greater interest are two arches which rise each side over the balustrades about 8 feet with risers from the bridge. You can swim through the holes.