Welland Canal

Introduction

The Welland Canal and (2) links Lake Ontario with Lake Erie.   The first canal in this location opened in 1829 with 35 wooden locks (40 by 1833) and a navigation depth of 8 feet (2.4 m).   In 1845 the Second Welland Canal was opened 27 stone locks and a navigation depth of 9 feet (2.7 m).   In 1887 the Third Welland Canal opened with 26 stone locks and a navigation depth of 14 feet (4.3 m).   The Fourth Welland Canal (present day) was completed in 1932 with 8 locks and a navigation depth of 27 feet (8.2 m), later deepened to 30 feet (9.1 m). ^CCS

The Welland canal, connecting the western end of Lake Ontario with the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, is counted as one of the St. Lawrence system. The project of building a canal to allow the passage of vessels around Niagara falls was advocated as early as 1816 and from that time until 1824 various schemes were discussed. In that year the Welland Canal Company was incorporated to connect the two lakes by means of a canal and railway. This company began work in 1825 with a capital of $800,000, but its history was one of financial embarrassment. In 1833 the canal, without any railway, was completed from lake to lake, the company having received extensive aid from the government of Upper Canada and from the Imperial Government. In 1837 the Government of the United Provinces converted its holdings of the bonds of the Welland Canal Company into stock and in 1841 purchased the remainder of the outstanding stock of this company, thereby gaining complete control of the canal. The locks were of wood, 100 feet long, 23 feet wide, with about eight feet of water on the miter-sills. The Board of Works, taking charge of the canal at this time, undertook at once the replacing of the wooden locks with structures of stone. The new locks were to be 120 feet long, 24 feet wide and were to have 8 1/2 feet of water on the miter-sills. In 1843 it was decided that the locks should be 150 feet long, 26 1/2 feet wide and that the depth on the miter-sills should be nine feet; also that the two entrance locks should have 11 1/2 feet of water on the miter-sills. In 1853 the depth of the canal prism was increased to ten feet and the bottom width, in earth sections, to 50 feet. In 1871 the enlargement of this canal, so as to admit vessels drawing 12 feet, was decided upon and in 1876 the proposed depth was increased to 14 feet. The canal was opened for 14-foot navigation throughout its length in 1887. As enlarged, the canal consists in part of an entirely new route, the old line being maintained also, so that now there are two channels available for a portion of the length. The new line is 26 3/4 miles long, while the old is 27 1/2 miles long. From Allenburgh to Port Colberne, a distance of 15 miles, there is only one channel, the old canal having been enlarged to the new dimensions. The total cost of construction to 1905 was $26,080,366.13. ^Whitford