FRANCE

FRANCE.

Tourism.
Canal de l'Ourcq.
Stamp issued on 30.05.1992.
Face value: 4 French francs.
Engraving: Pierre Béquet (1932-2012).
Printing: Recess.
Print: 6,647,681 copies.
Size: 40 x 26 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 3002.
- Michel No. 2901.
- Scott No. 2290.
- StampWorld No. 2893.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 3079.
- Unificato No. 3002.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2764.

The Canal de l'Ourcq in the Île-de-France region (greater Paris) with 10 locks. It has a length of 108.1 km (67.2 mi). It was built at a width of 3.20 m (10.5 ft) but was enlarged to 3.7 m (12 ft), which permitted use by more pleasure boats. The canal begins at Port-aux-Perches near the village of Troësnes, where it splits from the channeled river Ourcq, and flows to the Bassin de la Villette, where it joins the Canal Saint-Martin, and it represents one of the elements of the Parisian Canal Network (Réseau des Canaux Parisiens), a public-works authority operated by the city. Its construction began in 1805 under the direction of Édouard de Villiers du Terrage, it was filled with water on December 2, 1808 and was crossed by the first boat on August 15, 1813. In 1893 a canal inclined plane was constructed on the channel, near Meaux. In 1895 construction began to widen the canal in order for it to accommodate 1,000 tonne vessels. In 1920 this widening was extended to Les Pavillons-sous-Bois. Today the canal provides approximately half of the 380,000 m³ (500,000 cu yd) daily water requirement for the city's public works.

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Thanks to Daniel Mathieu for his contribution (http://lettresdumonde.blogspot.com/)