Yes, its this year. One hundred and twenty five years ago on August 15th, 1889, the auspiciously named sailing yacht ‘Surprise’ was first to sail through. Later that year in October, none other than Sir John A. Macdonald sailed through on a steamer and conducted an unexpectedly exciting and humorous opening ceremony at the Twelve O’Clock Point end of the Canal.
This information is taken from the Tobey Book, an incredible local history book housed in the Brighton Library, by the way.