Lock 38 — Lock 38 – Talbot

Lock 38 Talbot sits at kilometre 286.5 on the Talbot River, roughly 1.6 kilometres downstream of Lock 37 Bolsover in a quiet, rural stretch of the Trent Canal within the Township of Ramara, Simcoe County. This is the second in a rapid-fire series of five locks that lower vessels from Canal Lake to Lake Simcoe — the largest lake on the entire waterway. The lock produces a downstream drop of 4.3 m (14 ft) through a slow-operating valve gate, and is operated by a Parks Canada mobile crew that also staffs Lock 39 Portage. The surrounding landscape is semi-secluded and wooded, with cottages and mature trees lining both banks — a peaceful contrast to the busier locks further south.

The Balsam–Simcoe Division of the Trent-Severn Waterway, which includes Lock 38, was constructed between approximately 1905 and 1907 — the same era that produced the Kirkfield Lift Lock. The original dam at Lock 38 dated to 1908 and stood largely unchanged until Parks Canada undertook a complete replacement between 2018 and 2021, including cofferdam construction to manage water flows during the work. The new dam carries a design life expectancy of over 80 years. The lock itself retains its hand-operated valve gate mechanism, making it one of the sections of the waterway where the original operational character of the canal system is best preserved.

Boaters will find painted blue-line mooring on the north wall above the lock, with additional mooring space along the south wall. Parks Canada permits overnight tie-up for a maximum of two nights. The lockstation offers picnic tables, washrooms, and a shady setting well suited to a quiet overnight stop, though there are no stores, fuel, or services at the lock itself. The nearest marina services are at Port of Call Marina and Motel, roughly a mile upstream near kilometre 285. Just downstream of Lock 38, the Durham Road 50 bridge crosses the canal with a fixed vertical clearance of 6.7 m (22 ft). From here, the Talbot River narrows into the Trent Canal for the final descent through Locks 39, 40, and 41 before reaching Lake Simcoe.

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▲ Above Lock

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📍 GPS: 44.51°N, 79.1063°W · 1427 Canal Rd, Brechin, ON L0K 1B0, Township of Brock, Durham Region, Ontario, ON · Get Directions ↗ · Street View ↗

For navigation, use CHS Chart #2026 — this map is for reference only and should not be used for marine navigation.

Boater Orientation Notes:

• Lock 38 is in a quiet, rural setting on Canal Road — no walkable amenities. All services require a short drive (~3 km) or taxi to Brechin on Highway 12.
• Parks Canada provides overnight mooring (max 2 nights), camping, washrooms, potable water, picnic area, and visitor info at the lockstation.
• Brechin commercial strip on Hwy 12 has Foodland grocery, LCBO, Tim Hortons, Subway, Wild Wing, pharmacy, and hardware — all clustered within a few hundred metres.
• Brechin Dry Dock Marine in Lagoon City (~8 km) is the nearest full-service marine facility with repairs, parts, and supplies.
• Wild Wing Brechin is housed in the historic 1912 train station with original rail cars as dining areas — worth the taxi ride.

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Last Updated: March 18, 2026

Weather data for navigation planning purposes only. Always check Environment and Climate Change Canada’s official marine forecast before making operational decisions. weather.gc.ca ↗