Sault St. Marie Canal (Canada)

This canal connects Lake Huron with Lake Superior.   The first lock was built here in 1797 by the British Northwest Fur Company.   It was destroyed during during the War of 1812.   A new lock was built on the Canadian side in 1895.   This was enlarged in 1914, 1943 and to its present size in 1969. ^CCS

The Canadian canal around the rapid of St. Mary's river, between Lakes Huron and Superior, is usually called the Sault Ste. Marie, and the American canal, the Soo, so as to distinguish them.

The first canal on the Canadian side was built in 1796-8 by the Hudson Bay Company in about the same location as occupied by the present canal. There was but one lock, 38 feet long, 8 feet 9 inches wide and with a 9-foot lift. There was a tow-path at the side and oxen were used to tow bateaux through the lock. This lock was destroyed in 1814 by United States troops.

The present Canadian canal is about 5,967 feet long, 150 feet wide and 22 feet deep. The work was begun in 1888 and completed in 1895. There are no tolls on this canal and none on the canal on the American side. The division of traffic between them is controlled by the convenience of the moment only, and is without special significance. It is customary, therefore, to give simply the total traffic through both canals, and that rule has been followed here. (See St. Mary's canal for statement of traffic.)   The total cost of construction to 1905 was $4,423,676. ^Whitford