He gained a good knowledge of arithmetic and writing; competence in English, French and Latin; and some drawing skills, as he was admitted at age 13 to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.

In July 1802 By was posted to Canada, where he worked on the fortification of Quebec City and on improving the navigability of the Saint Lawrence River.

He was almost immediately posted to Portugal, where he served during the Napoleonic wars before falling ill (probably with malaria);[2] he was back in England in August.

In 1826, because of his engineering experience in Canada, he was recalled and assigned there to supervise the construction of the Rideau Canal between Ottawa and Kingston.

[11] Since the canal was to begin in the wild and sparsely populated Ottawa River valley, his first task was the construction of a town to house the workmen and labourers of associated services.

The second daughter was Esther March, born on 18 February 1819 in Marylebone, She married Percy Ashburnham, a younger son of the George, 3rd Earl of Ashburnham, in Ticehurst in 1838, and had two children: Esther Harriet in 1844, who died the following year; and Mary Catherine in 1847, who died aged three.

By was survived by two brothers:[15] John was honored in numerous places: [15] "Colonel By Hall 161 Louis Pasteur – Colonel By Hall, home to the Faculty of Engineering, is named in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers, who led the construction of the Rideau Canal.

He returned to England in 1811 and fought in the Peninsular War, but came back to Canada in 1826 to spend five summers heading the construction of the Rideau Canal, the 200 km long waterway, which now connects Ottawa and Kingston.

But the amazing feat was never recognized in Colonel By's own lifetime, and he died three years after its completion, never imagining that many thousands of Canadians would greatly admire and value his achievement in the centuries to come.

Colonel By's attributes of courage, determination, and diligence inspire us to emulate him, in the hopes that we too may somehow serve our country in a way which will benefit future generations.

The plaque notes that the 123-mile long Rideau Canal, built as a military route and incorporating 47 locks, 16 lakes, two rivers, and a 350-foot-long (110 m), 60-foot-high (18 m) dam at Jones Falls, was completed in 1832.