Sailing & Boating.
Lake St. Francis is the wide St.
Lawrence pool between Cornwall and Valleyfield, formed years ago by damming the river at Cornwall and Valleyfield, and the Charlottenburgh Park boat launch is the in-township access point onto the lake. From the launch, open-water cruising runs east toward the Quebec border at Bainsville and west toward Cornwall, with the Akwesasne ancestral island Tsikatsinakwahere (Cairn Island) visible in the lake.
The brief.
The Charlottenburgh Park boat launch operates seasonally (May to October). Lake St.
Francis is large enough for power-boating and small-craft sailing but is wind-exposed — afternoon winds affect open-water handling and small-boat trim. Tsikatsinakwahere / Cairn Island has been under co-stewardship since 2022 by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Parks Canada, and the Township of South Glengarry; the island is part of Akwesasne traditional territory and is not a public landing site.
Boaters crossing the lake should be aware of the Quebec border at the eastern end and the Cornwall–Massena shipping context to the west.
Today's read.
Cool but comfortable for layered effort · light winds.
By the book.
- 01The Charlottenburgh Park boat launch operates seasonally (May to October) under RRCA management; reservations and day-use fees apply through the RRCA.Source ↗
- 02Tsikatsinakwahere / Cairn Island is part of Akwesasne traditional territory and is under a 2022 co-stewardship agreement with Parks Canada and the Township; the island is not a public landing site.Source ↗
