Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
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1826-1872 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
39 cm of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The Desjardins Canal Company was incorporated on January 30, 1826 by Peter (Pierre) Desjardins of Dundas. Stocks sold quickly and a management structure was established but construction on the canal was halted with the death of Desjardins in September 1827. Construction slowly resumed and in 1833 Alexis Fidele Begue arrived from France to represent the interests of the Desjardins heirs. Begue managed to revive interest in the canal and after raising the necessary funds, the canal was completed and officially opened on August 16, 1837. The canal brought prosperity to Dundas as a centre for the manufacturing and distribution of goods. However, the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1854 ushered in the decline of the canal. In 1869, the Town of Dundas seized the canal to settle debts. By the 1870s, canal revenues were dropping and the Town agreed to close the canal. The Desjardins Canal Company went into liquidation in 1876 and became part of the Dominion Public Works until 1877 when it was transferred to the Town of Dundas.
Name of creator
Custodial history
The documents in this fonds were donated to the Museum over time by various sources. In the last few years efforts have been made to repatriate this fonds.
Scope and content
Fonds consists of correspondence to and from the Desjardins Canal Company directors and staff regarding the operation and management of the Company and the canal. The fonds also includes legal documents, receipts, reports, and notices.
Notes area
Physical condition
Some documents are extremely fragile.
Immediate source of acquisition
The immediate source of acquisition is unknown.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Open
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A descriptive inventory is available.
Uploaded finding aid
Associated materials
A list of material related to the fonds is attached to the descriptive inventory. This material includes documents concerning Peter (Pierre) Desjardins which are not directly related to the Desjardins Canal Company and newspaper clippings and notices which relate to the canal.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Begue, Alexis Fidele (Subject)
- MacNab, Allan Napier, 1798-1862 (Subject)