Description of Historic Place

Cabin 3 is located along the Chambly Canal in the Chambly Canal National Historic Site of Canada. It is a charming little wood cabin with a steep roof and tall gabled dormers with ridges meeting at the central chimney. The walls of the building are clad in white wood siding and feature decorative trimmed openings. The entrance door is centrally located on the front of the building. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Cabin 3 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Cabin 3 is associated, along with the other cabins and works on Chambly Canal, with the days when the canal was a major commercial route for the Québec logging industry. The cabin, built as a shelter, a storage space, and a workstation for the lockmaster, also recalls the years when the canal was a source of employment for the local community.

Architectural Value
Cabin 3 is valued for its very good aesthetic design. It is the largest of the lockstation cabins built in the early 20th century along the Chambly Canal in keeping with the spirit of the “City Beautiful” movement. Its eclectic design draws on Queen Anne Revival design vocabulary, a style that had considerable impact on residential construction in Canada at the turn of the 20th century. The good functional design of the building is evidenced in the placement of openings, which allowed the lockmaster to see in all directions. The good condition of the wood cabin, modelled with dollhouse-like attributes, attests the good quality of the building materials and the construction.

Environmental Value
Cabin 3 reinforces the present character of its canal setting. Prominently located, it is a well-known building in the area.

Sources: André Sévigny, Logettes des écluses nos 1et 3, canal de Chambly, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 89-224; Lockstation Cabin No. 3, Chambly Canal, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 89-224.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Cabin 3 should be respected.

Its very good aesthetic design, good functional design and very good craftsmanship and materials, as for example:
-the architectural lines of the Queen Anne Revival inspired wooden cabin, such as the complex profile of the steep roof, the tall dormers whose ridges meet in the centre (where the chimney rises); and the contrasting textures and colours adorning the wood siding and decorative openings;
-the symmetrical arrangement of the elevations;
-the elements that illustrate a design driven by the demands of the lockmaster’s work; for example, the arrangement of doors and windows allowed the lockmaster to see in all directions;
-the building materials and construction techniques that have stood for a century, reflecting the skill and expertise of the craftsmen involved in the construction of this cabin.

The manner in which Cabin 3 reinforces the present character of its canal setting and is a well-known building in the area, as evidenced by:
-its overall scale, massing design and materials, which harmonize with the landscaped surroundings;
-its very good visibility, which, together with its sister cabins, gives structure to the landscape and makes it familiar along the Chambly Canal.