Situated in Parc Summerlea, the artwork reflects the seaway that it sits beside. It is composed of four pillars, aligned two by two, that support two arcades. In the stone on the outside face of each column, a leg has been sculpted in bas-relief; on the inside face of each column are carved various animal figures (beaver, hare, deer, bear, bird’s wing). On flagstones on the ground appear silhouettes of fish. In the distance, beside the river, is placed a half-moon-shaped bench made of bricks and cut stone.

The title refers to the obstacles encountered by the voyageurs ascending the river toward the Great Lakes to start up the fur trade, who had to portage to get around the Lachine Rapids. Valade’s work commemorates this forced stop, at which the men lifted their canoes and cargo onto their backs to walk along the portage path. The four pillars evoke the mass and strength of the bodies carrying the canoes. The arcs that rest on the pillars evoke the structure of a large canoe. Viewers who stand between the pillars, their backs to the river, will recognize the bow of the boat turned to make it easier to pull it out of the water.