Brockville-Morrisburg Shore Dives

Underwater Sculpture Park, Canal, Submerged Town!

Date: Ah, too bad — We have had to postpone this dive — Details to be updated

Time: Arrive in the Brockville area on Friday evening

  • Saturday dive, 9:30 am start time for the dive
  • Allow 1/2 hour to find parking and off-load your gear before 9:30 am

Location:
– Saturday, Centeen Park, Water Street East, Brockville, ON
– Sunday, Morrisburg

Divemaster: Heison Chak, NAUI Instructor #59648

Dives:
– two shore dives Saturday
– two shore dives Sunday

Dive Fees: $25 Blue North shore dive fee for the weekend
Payment: Send in your $25 dive fee asap by eTransfer to bluenorthscuba@gmail.com to secure your spot on the dive weekend.

Register now

Deadline: Register and pay two weeks in advance of the dive

Day 1 – Saturday

Centeen Park Brockville: Shore Dive 
Map of the Underwater Sculpture Park
Divemaster: Heison Chak
Description: 
– Save Ontario Shipwrecks (SOS) created an underwater sculpture park, 35 ft.
– You will see some typical Canadian freshwater fish species like trout, perch, bass, lake whitefish.
– Limited parking available (overflow lot near by), grassy area, benches for divers, washroom (accessible with dive token), camping, motels, restaurants in the area
– Centeen Park.is populated with statues of people, fish and even underwater park benches. The creation of the park started in 2015 with the assistance of the City of Brockville, as well and the students of local schools who constructed many of the statues. Currently there are approximately 36 statues in the water—including mermaids, turtles, more humans, and a clownfish inspired by the Disney character Nemo. One series of underwater sculptures consists of five human sculptures looking upward as a memorial to those who have lost their lives on the busy St. Lawrence Seaway.
– The dive token costs $10.00 annually and allows you entry to the underwater sculpture park and the washrooms. It will help pay to upgrade the facilities at Centeen Park to enhance the diver experience. The dive token also makes an excellent souvenir of your diving experience in Brockville. Purchase your dive token at a harbour or tourism office or dive shop such as Dive Brockville Adventure Center, 12 Water Street East, Brockville.

Day 2 – Sunday

Morrisburg: Shore Dive 
https://morrisburgdivesites.com/lock-23-site-overview/
Divemaster: Heison Chak
Description:
– Shore dive, 40 ft.
– Part of the town was flooded to make way for the St. Lawrence Seaway
– Current, drift dive
– The submerged section of town had residential streets plus an adjacent area crammed with docks and boathouses, all of which were bulldozed in preparation for flooding. Maximum depth in the locks themselves is about 40 feet. The total downstream distance of the drift is 700 m/2300 ft. Most divers spend 50 to 60 minutes underwater. In the sketch below, today’s shoreline and parkland is coloured green, and the 1959 shoreline and town area is coloured turquoise and blue.

It’s called “Lock 23” but there are actually two locks: the first and smaller Rapide Plat Lock built in 1847 and the larger Lock 23 completed in 1905. They lie side by side creating two areas to explore. There’s a third inner channel leading to the foundations of the municipal hydroelectric plant, followed by a myriad of posts and cribbings of piers, boathouses and shoreline structures, with all kinds of stuff lying around. There’s the municipal wharf and the ferry dock with its road leading inland. And there are more sites along the Rapide Plat Canal as it extends a few kilometres upstream. The gates of both locks were dismantled in 1959 for the Seaway flooding, as were the buildings and machinery on top of their walls. Most of this debris was simply pushed into the lock spaces where it still remains. Most dives at Lock 23 start at the same place and end at the same place. Here’s a great photo showing just how much the village has changed in relation to the dive site!

Requirements to participate in the dive

Transportation:
We will try to assist with carpooling suggestions.

Scuba Gear:
Bring all your own scuba gear – including two tanks

Air Fills:
Air fills will be available at Dive Brockville Adventure Centre after the Saturday dive, no later than 4:45 pm. (Backup location for air fills is Dive Tech about 20 mins from Centeen Park, they are another reliable shop for gas fills. WeGoDown is another backup, located between Dive Tech and Centeen Park. They can be our 2nd backup for logistics and air fills.)

Accommodation:
We have some ideas below. It’s fun if we stay at some of the same locations. Some people may want a hotel, and others may like camping. You are responsible for booking your own accommodation. Check the internet for motels, cottages, B&B, camping, etc. to find something that suits your needs. Here are some ideas where divers have stayed in the past; not endorsements from Blue North:

Club Policies
Club dive policies

Questions or Comments?
Contact bluenorthscuba@gmail.com .

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