Early inhabitants along the Rideau canal were soldiers and new immigrants. In the newly surveyed township of Gouldbourn, two hundred British soldiers were given the opportunity to settle there and in return received hundreds of acres of land based on their military rank. In Merrickville, many occupants had come from America. Concerned that they might be loyalists, the British built a blockhouse to defend any attacks on the newly constructed Rideau Canal. In Perth, immigrants from Scottland gave Scottish names to their new towns and rivers and built their own canal that eventually joined to the Rideau Canal.

Originally released by World Life Video Productions, 2007. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on May 06, 2015. Also available DV2888.

The Military Settlement: 1812 and All That... (7:00); .