The Belgian canal continues 8.4 km and three locks beyond the border to the junction with the river Escaut (Scheldt).

The canal has been found by all boat owners who use it to be a surprisingly picturesque navigation, considering the industrial character of much of the route and the economic decline suffered by the population for decades.

The summit level is part of the vast urban regeneration area of L'Union, in Tourcoing and Roubaix.

As forecast by the initiators of the restoration project, the reopened canal has injected new life and a sense of pride in this part of the local industrial heritage.

Locks and moveable bridges are operated by staff of the Lille metropolitan authority MEL (Métropole_Européenne_de_Lille).