Colonel John By Plaque

This historical plaque is located inside Colonel By Secondary School and is dedicated to Lieutenant-Colonel John By, Royal Engineers. He is the builder of the Rideau Canal 1826-1832 and founder of Bytown.

COLONEL JOHN BY

Colonel John By (1779 - 1836) was born and educated in
England and first came to Canada in 1802. As a member of the
Royal Engineers, he worked on the first small locks on the St.
Lawrence River as well as the fortifications of Quebec. He
returned to England in 1811 and fought in the peninsular War,
but came back to Canada in 1826 to spend five summers
heading the construction of the Rideau Canal, the 200 km long
waterway which now connects Ottawa and Kingston. This
formidable task included the building of about 50 dams and 47
locks, without the aid of modern equipment. But the amazing
feat was never recognized in Colonel By's own lifetime, and he
died three years after its completion, never imagining that
many thousands o Canadians would greatly admire and value
his achievement in the centuries to come. Colonel By's
attributes of courage, determination, and diligence, inspire us
to emulate him, in the hopes that we too may somehow serve
our country in a way which will benefit future generations.