Les quatre ascenseurs hydrauliques du Canal du Centre

Hainault does not have a large natural navigable waterway. This led to difficulties in transporting the coal discovered in the region in the Borinage and around Charleroi at the end of the 12th century on the bad roads of the time. It was carried on the backs of men to the shore of the winding Haine river and loaded into small boats. Considerable works were carried out to improve the navigation of the Haine in the centuries that followed, so that larger boats could carry coal from Jemappes to the lower Scheldt, including the provision of sluice locks and gates. With the transfer of the Condé region to France in 1655, plans to link the Mons area to the Scheldt by canal were first discussed, but no progress was made until the early 19th century. The Charleroi-Brussels Canal was finished in 1832, and the Houdeng and Mariemont branches, which were to play an important role in the development of the Canal du Centre, in 1839.

In 1957 it was decided to upgrade the entire Canal du Centre to accommodate vessels of up to 1350t, and a new section was dug from Mons to Havré. This meant that the stretch of 300t canal that is the subject of the present nomination became redundant. Consideration was first given to various solutions for the stretch that was going out of commercial use, ranging from complete obliteration by demolition and filling to various partial forms of conservation. Financial constraints favoured its retention in its entirety, and a major public relations campaign led to the stretch of canal now proposed for inclusion on the World Heritage List being maintained in operation for recreational purposes. The project received many awards and prizes in the 1980s and 1990s.
The four hydraulic boat lifts were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998.

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