Dow's Lake
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Dow's Lake in Ottawa Canada is a tiny man-made lake on the Rideau Canal, situated two kilometers north of Hog's Back Falls in the middle of Ottawa, near many of the city's attractions.
During Winterlude, the world's longest skating rink ends at Dow's Lake; a couple of months later, during the spring Tulip Festival, many of the million-or-so visitors go to Dow's lake to see pavillions and tulip beds. At the south end of the lake is Carleton University, and to the west is the Arboretum, at the edge of the Central Experimental Farm. The Queen Elizabeth Driveway, named after the late British Queen Mother (who travelled along it in 1939) runs beside the north and west sides of the lake. The Colonel By drive, named after the founder of the city, Lieutenant-Colonel John By, runs beside the South side of the lake. The OC Transpo O-Train travels through a tunnel under Dow's Lake between Carling Avenue and Carleton University. The lake has a pavillion in the water with two restaurants and boat rentals.
A 4.6 m replica of The Man With Two Hats, a monument in Apeldoorn which commemorates the role Canadian forces played in the liberation of the Netherlands, faces the lake to symbolize the historic links between Canada and the Netherlands.
The lake is named after Abram Dow who owned land in this area at one time. Before the construction of the Canal, this area was known as Dow's Great Swamp.