Lock​/Bridge Operator - Anticipatory

Position: Lock/Bridge Operator I - Anticipatory

Lock/Bridge Operator I - Anticipatory

Parks Canada - Ontario Waterways, Rideau Canal

Closing date:
January 9, 2026 - 23:59, Pacific Time

Reference number
CAP
25J
- Selection process number
26-CAP-OWW-RC-EA-TERM-004 Location
Elgin (Ontario), Kingston (Ontario), Ottawa (Ontario), Perth (Ontario), Smiths Falls (Ontario), Eastern Ontario - Other locations (Ontario), National Capital Region - Other locations (Ontario)
Salary
$28.61 to $31.11 per hour - (salary under review)
Level
GL-MOC-05 Who can apply
All persons who have legal status to work in Canada. Please indicate in your application the reason for which you are entitled to work in Canada:
Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status or work permit.
Organization information
For further information on the organization, please visit .

On this page

About the position

Duties
Do you like manual work, being outside and seeing concretely the fruit of your efforts? This position is for you! The work of a lock/bridge operator requires rigor, resourcefulness, and good physical fitness.

You will be responsible for operating locks and/or bridges, maintaining grounds, structures and equipment, and providing courteous service to users in accordance with Parks Canada standards. The position is physically demanding and mainly works outside (up to 10 hours a day, exposure to sun, rain and bad weather). You will walk long distances on various terrains, use stairs or ladders and could lift loads up to 20 kg.

Additional tasks:
Paint, clean, weed, mow, empty bins and maintain sanitary facilities. Keep the area safe and clean. Answer visitors’ questions and ensure compliance with regulations. Use various tools and
equipment (lawnmower, weed whip, pressure washer, drill, etc.). Perform certain administrative tasks using computer tools.

The navigation season runs from May to mid-October. The season is split into three (3) main timeframes as follows:

* Spring Season: early May until mid-June - up to 6 days a week working

* Core Season: mid-June until Labour day - up to 6 days a week working

* Fall Season :
Labour day until mid-October - up to 7 days a week working

The Rideau Canal (RC) is broken into two areas/work units:
* RC North - Ottawa to Smiths Falls, ON (Locks 1-27)

* RC South - Smiths Falls to Kingston, ON (Locks 29-49)
Work environment
You might be wondering why you would come to work for the Parks Canada Agency?

To join a team of passionate people who care about the protection and presentation of Canada’s outstanding natural and cultural resources through a system of national parks, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites and canals.

Parks Canada is a federal government agency responsible for the protection and presentation of Canada’s outstanding natural and cultural resources through a system of national parks, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites in all regions of Canada.

Ontario's historic canals are defining features of Canada, governed by Parks Canada who protects and presents these special places to all who visit them.

From the heart of Canada’s capital, the historic Rideau Canal waterway winds south from Ottawa through towns, farms and woodlands for 202 kilometres (126 miles) towards Kingston on Lake Ontario. Constructed after the War of 1812 on fears of an American expansion across the St. Lawrence River, the Rideau Canal served as an alternative shipping route between Montréal and Kingston. The working canal, with its 19th century locks and structures, links rivers and lakes with man-made channels - an ideal landscape for outdoor activities and glimpses of Old Ontario.

Intent of the process
This is an anticipatory process with the goal of building a qualified pool of candidates to draw from as vacancies arise for term and seasonal positions that report for work between May to October or June to September on the Rideau Canal (RC). This process is intended to fill vacancies with the same work description, at various locations across the waterway.

RC North
- Various Lock Stations from Smiths Falls to Ottawa, Ontario (Locks 1-27)
RC South - Various Lock Stations from Kingston to Smiths Falls, Ontario (Locks 29-49)📢From the work…