Lachine Canal closed to boaters by sewage overflow

The Lachine Canal is closed to canoeing, kayaking and pedal-boating until the afternoon of Wednesday, June 8, due to possible sewage contamination.

Heavy rainfall on Sunday caused the municipal sewer system to overflow, sending potentially contaminated water into the canal.

Parks Canada, which is responsible for the Lachine Canal, issued the warning Monday.

The City of Montreal is in the process of building a water-retention centre that aims to limit the overflow of municipal waste water into the canal to one episode every five years.

As it stands, there are usually three to five overflow incidents every year.

That project is slated for completion in December 2018.