The Canals, a powerful bond between SSD and Paris

Originally

A network of waterways stretching over 130 kilometres meanders through the Parisian basin, quenching the thirst of the Capital and its inhabitants. This valuable system connects neighbourhoods to one another, fostering an uninterrupted flow of goods, people, and stories. From Alain Delon and Jean Gabin in The Sicilian Clan to Audrey Tautou relishing of "small pleasures" on the Bichat footbridge in Amélie Poulain, the Canals are woven into the artistic memory and collective imagination of the French.

Over the centuries

Conceived and orchestrated by Napoleon Bonaparte in the 19th century, the system of Parisian canals initially took shape as a public health initiative to provide drinking water to the capital. Over the decades, the extraordinary network formed by the basin of la Villette and the canals of Ourcq, Saint-Martin, and Saint-Denis evolved into a driving force for commercial and industrial development. Eventually, it propelled Paris into a prominent position as one of the leading French ports, and in the 20th century, transformed into a major tourist and cultural attraction.

Nowadays

The Canals stand as the ultimate public space for Parisians and the residents of Seine-Saint-Denis: from family strolls to open-air music festivals and a cherished canvas for street artists, life on the banks of the Canals pays tribute to those nourishing waterways that once facilitated the transport of goods and have now become the facilitators of universal and popular celebrations.

Did you know?

• An "edible" city: Prairie du Canal, an unprecedented transitional space to preserve biodiversity, including swans, the majestic inhabitants of the Parisian canals.

• Twelve locks, a uniqueness of the Saint-Denis Canal, have replaced animal and human towing, enabling navigation both downstream and upstream: the end of the elevation problem.

• The Civil Engineer Pierre-Simon Girard, appointed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to oversee the construction of the Canal de l'Ourcq.

• A conductor who "walks on water": Zahia Ziouani, a conductor in residence in Stains and a resident of Pantin, has already led a travelling classical concert on the canals.

• An old explosives field transformed into a haven of peace: Poudrerie Park in Sevran, 144 hectares along the Canal de l'Ourcq, not far from Valbon Park, an exceptional area for the Seine-Saint-Denis celebration of the Olympics.

• The legend of the washerwomen of the Parisian canals, reminiscent of the heroine in Émile Zola's "L'Assommoir."

• The hub of the social and solidarity economy by the water's edge: the “Pavillon des Canaux” in Stalingrad.

• Ici c’est Prairie in Bobigny, and the L’Été du Canal celebrating its 17th edition: two festivals that bring hip-hop to the banks, creating a playful, cultural, sports-filled, and festive summer.

• The “Coloc' de l'Ourcq” in Bobigny, a social and united innovative project led by the Seine-Saint-Denis Committee of the FSGT (French Sports for All Federation).

• Kayaking in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis: a 15km descent along the Canal de l'Ourcq with stories of its heritage and discovery of local wildlife.