Vacations in 19th and 20th Century Portland and the Rideau Lakes

During a period of industrialization in the mid-19th century, Canadians began to move off the farm and into larger towns and cities. But this urbanization made city-dwellers long for nature and the wilderness experience. And with spare time, a bit of money and better transportation options, vacations became a possibility for the urban middle class. This film looks at the emergence of the concept of the middle class vacation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the significance to Portland and Big Rideau Lake. Portland made the transition from being a commercial centre to a hopping hub of recreation. This seamless transition, and the popularization of owner-operated motorboats, undoubtedly played a significant role in the continued use and preservation of the Rideau Canal.