The canal begins in the west at Mons, and passes through the towns of Nimy, Obourg, Ville-sur-Haine, and Thieu.

For centuries, Belgian people had wanted an inland waterway to connect the Meuse and the Scheldt.

In 1879, the Ministry of Public Works adopted a proposal by Edwin Clark which used boat lifts instead of locks.

[2] In the event, it was decided to alter the course of the canal rather than to enlarge it along the full extent of its existing length.

The lifts on the old parallel canal remain in position, having in 1998 been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.