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Explore Niagara’s Welland Canal

Discover one of Canada’s greatest engineering achievements and the gateway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Explore the rich history of Niagara’s Welland Canal, watch massive ships navigate its iconic locks, uncover fascinating stories from 200 years of canal history, and plan your visit to the vibrant canal communities of St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne.

Whether you’re interested in history, ship watching, cycling, museums or local attractions, Niagara’s Welland Canal offers unforgettable experiences for visitors of all ages.

History

Niagara's Welland Canal

Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914
Specially designed dump cars were used to haul tens of millions of cubic yards of earth and rock on the canal construction. Pivoting beds of the rail dump cars are shown being hand dumped by labourers near Lock 4, 17 April 1914. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum 2693-R, courtesy Library & Archives Canada PA-61138
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914
Teamsters were important to the early years of construction of the Welland Ship Canal. They were responsible for handling the teams of draft animals (usually horses) that were used with wagons or in hauling other equipment on the construction site. The men and their teams were gradually replaced by large mechanized machinery. While being a teamster could be considered one of the safer jobs on the Canal, there were still hazards that endangered lives. Photo attribution: John Boyd / Library and Archives Canada; St. Catharines Museum, 2681-R
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914
Track was laid along the construction site to allow train engines and cars to move heavy loads into and out of work areas. Photo – April 17, 1914. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum, 2712-R – Library & Archives Canada, PA-061139 – John Boyd Collection
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914
This image shows the Port Weller construction site in September 1914. A large quantity of earth and rock was used to fill concrete cribs that were sunk into the lake to build the piers for the Welland Ship Canal. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum – 1340-N
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914
The Welland Canal construction was a place of much activity as evident in this photo at the future site of Lock 2, Sept. 21, 1914. Photo Credit: St. Catharines Museum, L1967.195.13, St. Catharines Historical Society Collection
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914 to 1915
Railway engine #21 from the Welland Canal General Contractor, “Baldry, Yerburgh, and Hutchinson Limited”. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum – Claude Richardson Collection, 1970.1.38 – 1914 to 1915
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914 to 1915
The Welland Canal Construction Railway was the Canal corridor’s backbone. It enabled all work to take place hauling in equipment, hauling away debris, and at times pressed into service to convey an injured worker to the Homer Hospital. A dozen workers with their grinning boss in foreground take a welcomed break from the hard labour to pose for a photo. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum – Claude Richardson Collection – 1970.1.35 – 1914 to 1915
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914 to 1915
Conditions on the construction site of the Welland Ship Canal were always very dangerous and accidents were always a possibility. Photo credit: Mr. Tom R. Lee, St. Catharines Museum, 6674-N – 1914 to 1915
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914 to 1915
Workers casually sit atop a pile of earth excavated from the canal work site. Hundreds of these trains would on a daily basis be transporting material to be used in lock construction, or the building of canal embankments or the breakwaters in the lakes. Loads of earth might also be deposited in waste dumps forming berms set back from the canal. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum, 2013-N – 1914 to 1915
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1914 to 1915
The Construction Railway and other pieces of large earth-moving machinery were indispensable in building the Canal. This image shows a dragline and rail engine that were used in excavating the channel for the future waterway. Unfortunately, almost 20% of all canal fatalities resulted from rail-related accidents. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum, Claude Richardson Collection, 2011-N – 1914 to 1915
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1915
Construction progress above Lock 2, Welland Ship Canal, 1915. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum, from Elmer Stevens – 1973.2
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1915
Construction trains are shown loaded with rock going to the Crushing Plant located near the Grand Trunk Railway Bridge on the Welland Canal. Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum – 1273-N
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1915
Photo of a dump car at the end of the line in Port Weller, July 1915. Taken from an album belonging to John Laing Weller, the Engineer-in-Charge of Construction of the Fourth Welland Canal from 1912 to 1917. This photo falls within Section 1, a construction zone that extends from the tip of the breakwaters at Port Weller to about Linwell Road, a distance of approx. 4.5 km (2.8 mi.) Photo attribution: St. Catharines Museum, 2006.73.442, from Miss Madelein Muntz
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1915
Almost five million barrels of cement (@ 350 lbs. ea.) were required for the concrete locks, weirs, and other structures. Buckets similar to the one shown in this photo would be used in pouring the concrete for the massive monoliths. Photo Credit: Tom R. Lee, St. Catharines Museum, 6666-N
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1917
Lift Bridges at Port Colborne, Welland Ship Canal circa 1917
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1924
Lock 1 of the Welland Ship Canal with gates closed in June 1924, photo taken by J. A. McDonald. Photo attribution: Courtesy of the Welland Ship Canal album, Brock University Archives
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1925
A stone crushing plant was built by the Canal to provide the stone needed for the construction work. It was a noisy, dusty place filled with hazards from moving machinery. The plant was operated by the contractor responsible for Sections 3 and 4. Photo Credit: St. Catharines Museum – Pat Horsey Collection
Niagara's Welland Canal History - 1959
The dredge Delver went down in 30 feet of water off Port Dalhousie while trying to make safe harbour from a sudden gale. Ten men on board of the 18-man crew were rescued by the tugs Alice and Meteor, but one man drowned, William Henry Burt. He would be the first victim of a canal construction that would take at least 137 lives. Pictured above is the Delver in the Welland Canal sometime around 1959. Photo attribution: Courtesy of Cy Williamson, through Skip Gillham
1817

Construction begins on the Erie Canal, from Albany to Buffalo, which would give New York City direct access to Lake Erie and the promising markets of the Midwest. Because of the Erie Canal, powerful Montréal merchants and their counterparts in Upper Canada (today, Ontario) feared losing out on western trade. The British Navy, which lost naval superiority on Lake Erie during the War of 1812, was concerned about further strategic disadvantage.

1818

William Hamilton Merritt, a mill owner in St. Catharines, first proposes a canal from Twelve Mile Creek to the Welland River, which would bypass Niagara Falls.

1823

Merritt begins raising private funds for a survey of his proposed route.

1824

The Welland Canal Company is formed and George Keefer of Thorold is appointed its first president. Sod is turned for the canal on November 30 at Allanburg.

1825

Construction begins on the Canal, dug by hand with only the assistance of horse-drawn carts. 39 locks are crafted of hand-hewn timbers.

1828

Inadequate water supply and engineering difficulties forces construction of a Feeder Canal from Port Robinson to the Grand River.

1829

The Welland Canal opened on November 30. The schooners R.H. Broughton and Annie and Jane reach Lake Erie in two days, pulled along by teams of workhorses.

1833

Work is completed on an extension of canal from Welland to Port Colborne, adding an extra lock.

1841

The Province of Upper Canada turns all loans made to the financially-troubled company into stock and takes control of Welland Canal Company.

1842-1853

Second Welland Canal is constructed.

1872-1887

Third Welland Canal is constructed.

1913-1932

Fourth Welland Canal is constructed, with project stalled during First World War.

1965-1973

By-pass of City of Welland is constructed.

1974

150th Anniversary of the commencement of construction of the First Welland Canal.

Present Day

The Canal is operated by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.

What To Do

Canal Communities

Not sure where to begin when planning your visit to Niagara’s Welland Canal? Let us help!

There are countless experiences that will make your trip a memorable one.

Click on each community to learn all about what to see and do from the Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3, to the St. Catharines and Welland Museum, Merritt Island, Port Dalhousie’s historical waterfront, festival and events, public beaches, cycling shopping, wine routes and so much more!

Welland Thorold Port Colborne St. Catharines

interesting facts

Bridges and Tunnels

Swing Lift Bridges

There are four “swing lift” bridges crossing the Canal – at Lakeshore Road, and Carlton Street in St. Catharines (Locks 1 & 2) and at Main Street and Mellanby Road in Port Colborne (Lock 8).

Counterbalance

Swing lift bridges are lifted by a huge counterbalance that swings the bridge out of the way of passing ships.

Vertical Lift Bridges

There are three “vertical lift” bridges crossing the Canal – at Glendale Avenue in St. Catharines, Highway 20 in Allanburg and at Clarence Street in Port Colborne.

The Mechanics

Vertical lift bridges involve weights suspended at either end, dropping to pull up the entire bridge 36.6 metres (120 feet).

Tunnels

Three tunnels pass under the Welland Canal – the Thorold Tunnel and the Main Street and Townline Tunnels in Welland.

Ships and Cargo

The Numbers

Ships are raised 100 metres (326 feet) by seven locks within 11 kilometres (7 miles).

Navigating the Welland Canal

3,272 ships – mainly lakers, salties, tugs and barges – navigated the Welland Canal in 2014.

Tonnage

Ships carried over 31,750,000 metric tonnes of cargo in 2014.

Cargos

Common cargos are grain, iron ore, coal salt, stone, iron and steel.

Tolls

Tolls for passage vary from $19,000 to $38,000 for a loaded cargo ship or barge, depending on gross tonnage, and cargo type and approximately $1,500 for a small passenger ship.

Pleasure Crafts

Pleasure crafts are allowed passage for $320 one way through all locks.

Passageway for the World

Lockage Time

It takes ships about 129 hours to sail from Duluth, Minnesota to the Atlantic Ocean, including 17 hours of lockage time throughout the Welland Canal and other St. Lawrence Seaway locks.

Bypassing Niagara Escarpment

The Welland Canal allows ships to bypass Niagara Falls and conquer the Niagara Escarpment in order to continue through the Great Lakes system.

Atlantic Ocean

From the Atlantic Ocean, ships can travel 2,000 kilometres (1,300 miles) inland to the edge of the Great Prairies.

Great Lakes

The five Great Lakes comprise the largest and most far-reaching inland waterway in the world.

Welland Canal Corridor

Four Cities

The Welland Canal Corridor is a scenic route through four cities from lake to lake.

Viewing

Along the way, visitors enjoy viewing platforms, recreational trails and waterways, cycling routes, picnic areas, historical ruins, museums, displays, beaches, restaurants and accommodations.

Lots to Do

The cities of St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne offer vistas, activities, events and opportunities to entertain and fascinate every traveller.

The Corridor

The Corridor forms the western boundary of the Greater Niagara Circle Route Trails System.

Welland Canal Brochure Welland Canal Historical Map Things To Do Map The Greater Niagara Circle Route Trails

Downloads

Maps & Guides

Access our official maps, specially designed to help visitors plan their time in Niagara and get the most out of the Welland Canal.

Our selection of maps will help you discover the evolution and history of the Welland, lock points of interest, over 140km of mostly off-road, paved trails suitable for walking cycling or rollerblading plus, the top things to do in each community during your stay.

Download these free Welland Canal maps and guides before you arrive.

Getting Here