This short Wherigo adventure will take you on a tour of Locks 4, 5, and 6 of the Shubenacadie Canal. Total distance to cover will be approximately 25km, 95% of which is drivable.
This Cache was inspired by the very first multi-cache that I found, which took me to the same locations. In order to find this cache, you will need a device that supports the Wherigo Player. This cartridge has been tested on both a Colorado 300 and an Oregon 300.
Download the cartridge from this link, load it into your supported device and go to the posted coordinates to start your adventure. Enjoy!
The final cache is an ammo-box with a logbook, pencil and the usual trading swag.
I’ve added child waypoints for the 3 locks in this adventure just to make it easier to use turn by turn navigation for those unfamiliar with the area. However all locations still have to be visited for the next location to become visible and available. After visiting Lock #6, the final cache location will be revealed. The cartridge should auto-save after every location, but I strongly recommend you manually save after every location just in case, as this is the first Wherigo cartridge I have created, although I have tested it, it still may have a bug or 2.
-First to find prize is a non trackable 2008 Lunenburg County Cachers geocoin.-
Construction of the Shubenacadie Canal started in 1826. It was thought that the Canal would open up the province's hinterland and provide a safe trade route to the Bay of Fundy, but it wasn't going to come easily.
Construction stopped in 1831 when the Shubenacadie Canal Co. went bankrupt. The dream of the canal was still alive though, and in 1854 the Inland Navigation Co. was formed and construction started once again. The Inland Navigation Co. also suffered from financial problems and even after the canal opened in 1861 it never showed much profit.
In 1870 the canal was closed forever by the construction of several low bridges that prevented the passage of vessels.
Used by the native Mi'kmaq for centuries, the Shubenacadie waterway was carved out of bedrock by glaciers during the last ice age.
Work on the canal system began in 1826, ceased in 1831 and resumed in 1854. The canal was completed in 1861. Construction of 9 locks and 2 inclined planes connected a chain of 7 lakes and the Shubenacadie River, enabling boats to travel from Halifax Harbour to the Minas Basin. The only other route to the Bay of Fundy was by way of Cape Sable, a dangerous sail.
The famous "deep cut" between Lake MicMac and Lake Charles was the single most expensive and time consuming piece of work in the entire canal. It could not be finished in a single work season and was hard to protect from the destruction of winter. It was a cut into the bedrock over a kilometer long and at least four feet deep.
The Shubenacadie Canal opened in sections and operated between 1856 and 1870. Steam vessels hauled barges laden with goods along the system. The canal moved goods needed for gold mining to Waverley which included machinery and coal from Dartmouth. Lumber, bricks, and granite from the Grand Lake area were also transported through the canal.
By 1870, railways were able to transport goods faster and more cheaply than ships. People's view of the canal as a viable method of transportation changed and the new railway was deemed superior. The canal was used in the construction of the railway and the low railway bridges that forced its closure in 1870.
The Shubenacadie Canal System is now a National Historic Civil Engineering site and a popular recreation and heritage corridor. The canal offers a wonderful wilderness experience for hikers and canoeists alike.