Chats Falls

Chats Falls were a set of waterfalls on the Ottawa River, near Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario, and Quyon, Quebec, Canada. A hydroelectric generating station is now located here, owned and operated jointly by Hydro-Québec and Ontario Power Generation. It lies within the cities of Ottawa, Ontario and Pontiac, Quebec.HistoryPrior to the construction of the dam and power generating station, the Chats Falls was a waterfall with a 10.7 meter (35 feet) drop in the river, and consisted of a series of chutes running from what is now the eastern end of the dam all the way to the western-most corner of Pontiac Bay. In their natural state the Chats Falls were a tourist attraction. In the years leading up to World War One it was fairly common to see large steam boats (paddle wheelers) heading up river with their decks full of sightseers.Horse railwayIn 1847, the Union Rail Road was established at Chats Falls. Passengers were treated to a horse-drawn railroad trip of through the dense forest skirting the rough waters. While the roof sheltered passengers from rain and sun, the sides were open to mosquitoes, which brought complaints from many of the river travelers.In 1853, James Poole, editor of The Carleton Place Herald, wrote about the Chats Falls horse railway: