Parks Canada Cottages
These historic red-brick cottages sit alongside the Lachine Canal locks, offering a rare combination of industrial heritage architecture and calm waterway scenery in the middle of Montreal. The lock gates and canal infrastructure make for strong geometric foregrounds, and you can position yourself low along the water's edge to get reflections of the cottages and surrounding greenery in the still canal. A wide-angle lens works well to capture the full scene, including the lock mechanisms and pathways that lead your eye through the frame. Early morning is the best time to visit, when the light is soft, foot traffic is minimal, and the water surface is glassy. The site is easily walkable from Old Montreal and accessible year-round, though autumn adds warm foliage tones that complement the warm brick tones of the buildings nicely. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
