By Lock 40 Thorah, Loopers have descended through the heart of the Talbot River corridor and are only two locks from Lake Simcoe — the largest open-water crossing on the entire Trent-Severn. The Kirkfield summit is well behind, and the five closely spaced locks between Bolsover and Gamebridge are ticking past quickly. Ahead lies the 20-mile traverse of Lake Simcoe, the Severn River locks, and finally Georgian Bay — the gateway back to Lake Huron and the next leg of the Loop. Learn more at AGLCA: https://www.greatloop.org/
Lock 40 Thorah sits at KM 289.8 on the Trent Canal, roughly half a mile downstream of Lock 39 Portage and a similar distance above Lock 41 Gamebridge. This trio of closely spaced locks forms the lower half of the five-lock staircase that carries the waterway from Canal Lake down to Lake Simcoe along the narrow Talbot River corridor. Vessels descending northbound toward Georgian Bay drop 4.3 metres (14 feet) through Lock 40’s slow-valve-gate chamber — one of five drops totalling approximately 22 metres (73 feet) between Bolsover and the lake entrance. The nearest municipality is Beaverton, Ontario, located roughly 10 kilometres to the southwest along Regional Road 50.
Lock 40 is part of the Balsam–Simcoe Division, a stretch of national historic significance valued for its largely unmodified early-twentieth-century engineering. This section of the canal was built during the 1900–1907 construction period using horse and manual labour, with workers measuring progress by the number of cuts of blasted limestone required to carve the channel through the bedrock. The lock and its adjoining earthen dams remain substantially as built, and visitors can walk or cycle the private canal road that connects Locks 39 through 41 along the top of these original dams. The waterway reached Lake Simcoe in 1904, and the full transit from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay opened in 1920.
Parks Canada describes Lock 40 as one of the nicest day-use and overnight areas on the entire waterway. The grounds are set in a pastoral landscape shaded by mature maple trees, with picnic tables on both the upper and lower approaches. With no nearby road traffic, the lockstation offers a level of quiet rarely found elsewhere on the system. Mooring is permitted for up to two nights. There is no shore power, and boaters should confirm potable water availability directly with Parks Canada. The nearest fuel and full marina services are at Trent Talbot Marina, roughly 1.5 kilometres downstream near the Lake Simcoe canal entrance. From here, only Lock 41 Gamebridge and the bridges beyond it stand between the canal and the open waters of Lake Simcoe — always check the weather forecast before committing to the crossing.
| Official Name | Lock 40 — Thorah Parks Canada |
| Lock Number | 40 |
| GPS Coordinates | 44°29’55.71”N, 79°07’57.42”W Parks Canada |
| Street Address | 33245 Region Road #50, Beaverton, Ontario Parks Canada |
| KM Marker | KM 289.8 (Mile 180.0) CHS CEN309 |
| Region | Simcoe |
| Water Body | Talbot River / Trent Canal |
| CHS Nautical Chart | #2025 CHS |
| Nearest Municipality | Beaverton, Ontario |
| Historic Construction | Balsam–Simcoe Division, 1900–1907 Parks Canada |
| Lock Phone | (705) 426-7912 Parks Canada |
| trentsevern@pc.gc.ca |
| Parameter | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Lock Number | 40 | |
| Average Lift | 4.27 m | 14 ft |
| Chamber Length | 36.6 m | 120 ft |
| Chamber Width | 9.7 m | 32 ft |
| Maximum Draft System-wide | 1.8 m | 6 ft |
| Gate Type | Slow valve gate (downstream section) | |
| VHF Channel | Channel None | |
| Operating Season Parks Canada | Mid-May to mid-October | |
| Max Mooring Period Parks Canada | 2 nights | |
| Permit Required | Yes — 1‑888‑773‑8888 or parks.canada.ca | |
| Electricity | ✗ Not Available | |
| Potable Water | ✔ Available | |
| Pump-Out | ✗ Not Available | |
| Operator | Parks Canada — Environment and Climate Change Canada | |
| Lock Phone Parks Canada | (705) 426-7912 | |
📍 GPS: 44.494°N, 79.1404°W · 33245 Region Road #50, Beaverton, Ontario, 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.
☎ Brock Taxi — Local taxi serving Brock Township including Beaverton. Confirm phone number before relying — listing may be outdated. Essential for getting from Lock 40 to Beaverton.
☎ Uber (Rideshare) — Available in Beaverton/Brock area but driver availability may be limited in rural zones — plan ahead. 🔗
No public transit serves Lock 40 directly.
Boater Orientation Notes:
- Lock 40 is in a remote pastoral setting ~7 km east of Beaverton — no walkable amenities within 1 km. Immediate area is agricultural land and canal infrastructure.
- The only walkable feature is the canal towpath between Locks 39—41 along the top of earthen dams — beautiful maple-lined walk.
- All commercial services (grocery, restaurants, pharmacy, hardware) are in downtown Beaverton — ~7 km, taxi required.
- Lock has picnic tables, shade trees, washrooms, and potable water (Parks Canada). Max mooring: 2 nights.
- Lock 41 (Gamebridge) is only 1 mile upstream and closer to Highway 12 services — consider provisioning there.
🛒 Grocery
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Beer Store 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-7341 | ⭐ 3.5 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Foodland Beaverton 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-9061 | ⭐ 3.3 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| LCBO (Bay & Mill) 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-7373 | ⭐ N/A | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Mac’s Convenience | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | ~7 km | Short Drive |
🍴 Restaurants
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Barney’s Restaurant | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-5665 | ⭐ 4.0 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Beaverton Fish and Chips | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-7485 | ⭐ 4.3 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Stefano’s Bistro | Let’s Go! | (705) 999-2677 | ⭐ 4.9 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Tar’d & Feather’d 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-9464 | ⭐ 4.4 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Tim Hortons 🔗 | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-5950 | ⭐ 3.5 | ~8 km | Short Drive |
🏛 Local Interests
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| TSW Canal Path (Locks 39—41) 🔗 | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | On-site | Walkable |
| Beaver River Museum (BTEHS) 🔗 | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ 4.6 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Beaverton Harbour Park 🔗 | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ 4.3 | ~8 km | Short Drive |
| Mill Gateway Park 🔗 | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Old Stone Church National Historic Site | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ 4.5 | ~7 km | Short Drive |
🔧 Support & Services
| Name | Directions | Phone | Rating | Distance | Access |
| Beaverton IDA Pharmacy | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | ~7 km | Short Drive |
| Beaverton Mower & Marine Ltd | Let’s Go! | (705) 426-9727 | ⭐ 3.8 | ~5 km | Short Drive |
| Davis Hardware | Let’s Go! | N/A | ⭐ N/A | ~7 km | Short Drive |
Last Updated: March 18, 2026
Post-Kirkfield: red and green channel buoys are on opposite sides from the lower system. Red-right returning applies southbound, not northbound. Verify with CHS Chart #2026 before transiting. CHS CEN309
Shoal locations, rock hazards, and current data for Lock 40 – Thorah are being compiled from CHS CEN309 and current Notices to Mariners. Check notmar.gc.ca for active advisories. CHS
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 ↗