'Many years ago, I decided to write a book about the Rideau Canal. It is, therefore, with mixed feelings that I see that Robert Legget has beaten me to the tape. He is to be congratulated ... The definitive work on the Rideau has been written, and I shall value my copy.' Eric Arthur

Since the publication of the first edition in 1955, Rideau Waterway has informed and delighted readers, among them historians, engineers, and vacationers. First revised in 1972, this classic guide has once again been brought up to date in a new edition.

Robert Legget offers a rich history of the Rideau Canal – an adventure in engineering, built by soldiers and civilian labourers through swamp, bush, and rocky wilderness – as well as a guide to current places of interest along the waterway and stories of the pioneers who settled there. He resurrects the controversy surrounding Colonel John By, Superintending Engineer of the construction of the canal, whose leadership was debated in the British press and after whom By town was named. By town is now Ottawa; Legget traces the city's development from construction camp to national capital.

This new edition contains three times as many photographs as the original, and has been even more thoroughly updated than was the revised edition of 1972. Legget has added new information about historical figures and references to developments in the surroundings: the St Lawrence Seaway, the Carillon hydroelectric project, new roads, new bridges, and more. The appendices have been revised to include the latest maps, charts, and fishing information available. In all, Legget has provided a lively guide for boaters and other travellers, and for all those interested in the history of eastern Ontario.