BUCKHORN #1 ON TSW

It was a late start to the summer boating season through the locks on the Trent-Severn Waterway, but there was still plenty of traffic. According to Karen Feeley from Parks Canada, there were 106,357 vessels through the system, including 74,057 separate lockages and 9,951 vessels that moored at the sites. In comparison to 2019, this represents a decrease in usage of about 12 percent, a result of the late opening to the navigation season and other impacts related to COVID-19.

Buckhorn's Lock 31 was the busiest and most popular destination followed closely by Bobcaygeon. In Buckhorn, 7,925 vessels went through with 1,438 mooring; and in Bobcaygeon, there were 7,438 vessels with 1,753 mooring at the site.

With 2020's boating season in the books, Karen says visitor safety remains of utmost importance for Parks Canada. “From mid-October to mid-May, lock stations will be closed, and the use of the waterway will be at one’s own risk,” she says. “Unmarked hazards may exist. Wet leaves, ice, and snow may remain on stairs and walkways, and ice conditions on the waterway can vary. Boaters are advised that during the non-navigation season, aids to navigation may be missing, off-station, or inoperable until next spring. Parks Canada encourages the public to use caution in and around the waterway structures and channels over the winter months.”