The Rideau Canal, also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa on the Ottawa River with the city of Kingston, on Lake Ontario, using sections of major rivers, including the Rideau and the Cataraqui, as well as some lakes. It was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States, but it remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures (canal, the locks, associated buildings and forts) intact. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, and in 2007 it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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