Community Update: Replacement of the Talbot Dam

The Government of Canada has announced more than $615 million of work on infrastructure across the Trent-Severn Waterway and its reservoir lakes. As a part of that work, the Talbot Dam in the Townships of Ramara and Brock near Gamebridge is being replaced.

The contractor has made good progress on the dam. Phase one of the south sluice construction is nearing completion and the contractor will work through the fall and winter to install the coffer dam for the north sluice. Work will begin to reconstruct the north sluice in May of 2019. The dam reconstruction will be completed between October and December 2019, with the possibility of some minor site restoration and landscaping in spring 2020.

Background

• The original Talbot Dam was completed in 1907 and its location is upstream of Lock 39 in the historic Talbot Canal section of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The original dam had lived out its useful life and is being fully replaced in the same location.
  
  
• Outflows from the dam diverge from the canal cut and go to Lake Simcoe via the Talbot River. This area is important for Walleye and White Sucker. Parks Canada’s water management accommodates the spring spawn for these species and the construction project has been designed to continue these measures by building one sluice of the new Talbot Dam at a time.

How to stay informed

If you would like to receive email updates about this or any other project, please email us at: Ont.TrentSevern@pc.gc.ca and include a project descriptor in the subject heading. Or check out what we’re up to at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/tswInfrastructure.