Description of Historic Place

Lockstation Cabin 8 is located in Chambly along the Chambly Canal and is part of the Chambly Canal National Historic Site of Canada. It is a charming little wooden cabin with a steep roof with tall gabled dormers whose ridges meet at the central rising chimney. The walls of the building are clad in white wood siding with trim, and feature many window openings with decorative trim. The entry door is centrally located on the front of the building. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Lockstation Cabin 8 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Lockstation Cabin 8 is associated, along with the other cabins and works on the Chambly Canal, with the days when the canal was a major commercial route for the Québec logging industry. The cabin also recalls the years when the canal was a source of employment for the local community.

Architectural Value
Lockstation Cabin 8 is valued for its very good aesthetic design. A charming wooden cabin, it illustrates the desire among authorities to beautify the Chambly Canal in keeping with the spirit of the ‘City Beautiful’ movement that marked the turn of the 20th century. Its eclectic look draws on Queen Anne design vocabulary, a style that was then enjoying a considerable impact on domestic architecture. Fine materials and very good craftsmanship are the reasons why this dollhouse-like structure is standing to this day.

Environmental Value
Lockstation Cabin 8 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 7et 8, canal de Chambly, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 96-067; Lockstation Cabin No. 8 Chambly Canal, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 96-067.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Lockstation Cabin 8 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 style 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), the contrasting textures and colours adorning the wood siding and the resulting compartmented effect, the woodwork detailing in the gables, and the small pediments over the doors and windows;
- the symmetrical arrangement of the elevations and the clarity of the architectural concept;
- the elements that illustrate a design driven by the demands of the lockmaster’s work, for example, the arrangement of the doors and windows which 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 artisans involved in the construction of this cabin.

The manner in which Lockstation Cabin 8 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.