Welland Canal, Maritime transportation system in Ontario, Canada
The Welland Canal is a waterway in Ontario that links Lake Ontario to Lake Erie through the Niagara Peninsula, spanning eight locks over a distance of more than forty kilometers. The waterway follows a relatively straight course through flat farmland and small towns, with each lock surrounded by green space and wide approach basins.
The first version of this waterway opened in 1829 with forty wooden locks and was one of the boldest engineering efforts in North America at the time. Three further reconstructions followed during the 19th and early 20th centuries until the current fourth version was completed in 1932, allowing larger vessels to pass through.
The communities around the waterway preserve the names of early engineers and builders whose work first made trade between the Great Lakes possible. Along the locks, small port towns with a maritime character have grown where life continues to follow the rhythm of passing ships.
The waterway is open for shipping from March through December, and the best viewing spots are near the lock stations where visitors can watch large cargo ships pass at close range. Trails and paths along the banks remain open year-round for walking and cycling even when ships are not operating.
The system raises ships almost one hundred meters over the Niagara Escarpment using only gravity and the natural movement of water, without pumps or motors. The oldest surviving lock from the first canal now sits dry in a park where visitors can see the original masonry from the early 19th century.
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