Ottawa, ON, Aug 07, 2009 — The first Monday in August is a holiday that gets localized across much of Canada. Ottawa has taken to calling it Colonel By Day. Royal Engineer Lieutenant Colonel John By was responsible for building the Rideau Canal - a huge, six-year project completed back in 1832. Largely because of that over-land waterway, a scruffy area called Bytown grew into the city of Ottawa and became the national capital a few decades later. Today, the well-preserved canal system connecting Kingston with Ottawa is a boater's delight and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Allan Meltzer was one of several re-enactors at commemorative events surrounding the grounds of Ottawa's Bytown Museum.