Attention Ontario Divers

[Tamas]

I would like to head up to Cornwall and do a few dives in the flooded/submerged villages, power houses but would like to get more info on them. I have the Great lakes diving guide, but it is pretty vague in the description of them. Has anyone ever dove these sites? Any pointers? Is it a good dive? Any local shops offering Nitrox fills?

Please be as descriptive and vocal as you feel, I would like tonnes of info on these sites.

 

[DI_Guy]

Are you referring to the pump house and generating station at Morrisburg or further down river at Cornwall ?

 

[Tamas]

The book mentions Mille Roches Power House, Aultsville, Dickinson's Landing, Lock 21.....just for a few. But if you have details on the others, I am all ears!

 

[Tom R]

Give Andy a call http://www.depthchargediving.ca/

 

[DivingGal]

Andy's the local charter for the offshore sites in the area.

But some of what you mention are considered shore diving.

As for fills.... not sure what's up around Cornwall/Long Sault (I just bring my tanks home) there are a few LDS in Brockville that have air & nitrox fills. The one LDS in Prescott has now moved to Brockville).

 

[Kevin R]

Are you referring to the pump house and generating station at Morrisburg or further down river at Cornwall ?

We scootered Lock 23 yesterday and were planning to start on Agusta St to do the power station as well. When we got there we found that Agusta St. is closed for construction. It looks like they are replacing the water pipes around the pumping station.

 

[Tamas]

So to those that dove these sites, what are they like? Worth the drive from TO? What can one expect? How intact are things? Vis? Conditions?

 

[Kevin R]

So to those that dove these sites, what are they like? Worth the drive from TO? What can one expect? How intact are things? Vis? Conditions?

That whole area has a fast current and is relatively shallow (around 60'). The vis yesterday was about 10 - 20', I didn't look at the temp since I was warm. I also dove Lock 21 on Thursday night. Conditions were about the same. Lock 21 has the most to see out of all the locks. It has the gearing, sluice gates, a small weir and some railings. The rest of the locks are pretty much just walls with some doors and stairs. If you are going to make the drive from TO, I'd make it a long weekend and set up something with Andy from Depth Charge Diving. He can put you on some nice boat access sites like the Mille Roche Power house or the Eastcliffe Hall (370' steel freighter in 50 - 70'), then do a second day on the shore sites. Once you're in the Morrisburg area, everything is within a 40 min drive. The area gives an interesting perspective from diving the wrecks further up river.

I think ArtW has spent time on Hoople Creek Bridge and Lock22, maybe he could throw in a pitch here.

 

[artw]

I haven't done lock 22 but Andy does run charters to it. its pretty much the same as Lock 23 but deeper (around 50 feet). Apparently one of the lock gates is still intact
there is lots to see around Ingleside/Long Sault but as others have said visibility is not the greatest in the summer (algae blooms and particles). Hoople creek bridge is interesting from an architectural point of view and it's also challenging because there is literally less than 10 feet of viz and no current.

if you would like more information on the Milles Roches powerhouse and some of the history of the area including Lock 22/23 check out Robert Wood's website
http://www.magma.ca/~rgwood/sites.html

My opinion is the dive sites that were created when the Seaway was flooded are interesting from a historic/architectural point of view but if you are doing a long drive from a far away place and really want a good dive I'd suggest do a charter on some wrecks (eastcliffe is a god one) and in Brockville its the best

 

[Marvintpa]

Some photos of the powerhouse can be seen at
http://www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/mille.htm
and the Eastcliffe Hall at
http://www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/eastcliffe.htm

Both are quite interesting dives. The Eastcliffe is must more interesting than the photos suggest.