Welland channel

The channel Welland is a navigable channel 42 km length which connects the Lake Ontario (Port Weller (Ontario)) to the Lac Érié (Port Colborne). It belongs to the Sea route of the St. Lawrence and it makes it possible the boats to circumvent the falls of the Niagara to pass the escarpment of the Niagara

General information

Roughly 40000000 of tons of goods are transported annually by approximately 3000 boats. It facilitates the transit of the goods produced in the industrialized cities bordering the Big lakes (Chicago, Cleveland, Détroit, Milwaukee) towards the Atlantic Ocean.

It was one of the big factors of the growth of the town of Montreal. It is indeed in the wearing of Montreal that all the goods coming from the industrialized metropolises are charged in the gigantic cargo liners in departure towards the broad one. The goods coming from the whole world are also discharged in Montreal before being reloaded on boats being able to move on the Big lakes and thus on the Welland channel.

The realization of the Welland channel made obsolete the inland waterway the Trent-Severn which connects the Lake Ontario to the Lake Huron. This way now became a tourist inland waterway for the pleasure boats. Indeed, its gauge is exceeded and the time of crossing is also longer.

The level of the water of the lake Érié is 99.5 meters higher than the level of the Lake Ontario. The channel includes/understands 8 locks doing each one 24.4 m broad on 233.5 m length. The maximum height allowed for the boats is of 35.5 m because of the presence of the bridge Garden City Skyway . The maximum length of the boats is of 225.5 m and it takes on average 11 hours to cross all the length of the channel.

History

Before the construction of the channel, the traffic between the two lakes was done by bearing between the localities of Chippawa and Queenston which were respectively upstream and downstream from the falls of the Niagara.

First Welland channel

The company Welland Canal Company was created in 1824 by William Hamilton Merritt, to control the water flow used for its water mills. Construction began with Allanburg on November 30th, 1824 (the exact place is marked west coast of the bridge n°11 ( Autoroute 20 ). The channel opened 5 years later on November 30th 1829 for a first test. The first boat to be passed was Annie & Jane . The channel started from Port Dalhousie on the Lake Ontario, went to Saint Catharines before passing the localities of Merritton, Thorold and Allanburg. It arrived then at Port Robinson where it joined the Rivière Welland which made it possible the boats to join Chippawa.

An extension was open in 1833 starting from Port Robinson. The extension followed the Welland river to the town of Welland before taking the direction of the south towards Port Colborne on the lake Erie. Another feeder canal connected the town of Welland to the west of the locality of Rock Not. After the opening of this extension, the channel measured 44 km and had 40 locks out of wooden. The minimal size of a lock was of 33,5 m out of 6,7 m for a minimal depth of 2,4 Mr.

Second Welland channel

In 1839, the government of the High-Canada approved the refinancing of the company of the channel which had financial problems. The payment was supplemented in 1841 and work of deepening of the channel and reduction in the number of locks began. The locks were reduced to 27 (45,7m on 8,1m). In 1848, the depth passed to 2,7 meters just like the remainder of the way of the St. Lawrence towards the ocean.

From 1854, the appearance of the railroad brought a new competition. In 1859, the company Welland Railway opened a way parallel with the channel. This railroad was related to the company of the channel and was used to help the transfer of the goods of the cargo liners of the lakes which were too large to be able to borrow certain locks. It was already clear that the channel should be increased to avoid this handling.

Third Welland channel

In 1887, a shortened way was supplemented between St Catharines and Port Dalhousie. One of the achievements exceptional of this third channel was the tunnel of Merritton making it possible a way of railroad of the Grand Trunk Railway to pass under the channel on the level of lock 18. The new way had a minimal depth of 4,3m and had 26 stone locks (82,3m on 13,7m). The channel was however always too small for certain boats…

Fourth and currently last Welland channel

The construction of the channel began in 1913 and was finished in 1932. The channel since is composed of 7 locks on the level of the escarpment of the Niagara and a eighth with Port Colborne to control the depth of the channel. The depth is of 7,6 meters and the locks make 233,5 length out of 24,4 m broad.

Fifth (Considered but noncarried out completely) Welland channel

In the Fifties, it was decided that the inland waterway of the St-Laurent was to have a minimal depth of 8,2 Mr. a skirting of 13,4 km around Welland ( Welland By-pass ) was built between 1967 and 1972. It was opened in spring of 1973 and shortened the distances. At the same time, the tunnel of Thorold was built and several bridges could be removed. Work belonged to the project named Fifth channel Welland which envisaged to pass to the east existing channels and to pass the escarpment of the Niagara with only one super lock. The project was stopped since. It is envisaged to replace the 4th channel in 2030, approximately 200 years after the opening of the first channel in 1830.

Accident of 1974

The August 25th 1974, the ship Steelton ran up against bridge 12 in Port Robinson. The bridge was destroyed by the shock without causing victim. The bridge was never repaired and the inhabitants had to borrow a ferry to cross the channel. Files concerning the accident is in the public library of Welland.

Accident of 2001

The August 11th 2001, the steamer Windoc ran up against bridge 11 against Allanburg. The boat ignited and damaged the bridge.

Season of opening

The firm Welland channel in winter when the ice makes transport dangerous. The channel is thus opened in spring when the ices release water of the channel. In 2007, the channel opened on March 20th by beating all the records of precocity.

Characteristics

Current channel

maximum Length of the ships: 225,5 m
maximum Tie: 8,2 m
maximum Height of the boats above the level of water: 35 m
Difference in levels between the lakes: 99,5 m
Temps of average transit enter the 2 ends: 11 hours
Length of the channel: 43,5 km

Evolution of the locks

List locks and crossings of the channel

Classified north (Ontario) towards the south (Erie).

} |- |St Catharines |Bridge 1 |Road Lakeshore Road (regional Road 87) | |- |style=" color: #777; " |St Catharines |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 2 |style=" color: #777; " |Street Scott Street |style=" color: #777; " |Ever installed |- |St Catharines |Lock 2 | | |- |St Catharines |Bridge 3A |Street Carlton Street (regional Road 83) |style=" color: #777; " |Replace bridge 3 destroyed in an accident |- |St Catharines |Bridge 4A |Garden City Skyway: QEW | |- |St Catharines |Bridge 4 |Street Queenston Street (Road régionale81) |Also known under the name of " Homer Bridge" Top spin; |- |St Catharines |Lock 3 | | |- |St Catharines |Bridge 5 |Avenue Glendale (regional Road 89) | |- |Thorold |Bridge 6 |Canadian railroad Canadian National) | |- |Thorold |Locks 4-5-6 | | |- |Thorold |Lock 7 | | |- |style=" color: #777; " |Thorold |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 7 |style=" color: #777; " |Street Hoover Street |style=" color: #777; " |removed |- |style=" color: #777; " |Thorold |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 8 |style=" color: #777; " |Canadian railroad Canadian National) |style=" color: #777; " |removed |- |Thorold | |Tunnel of Thorold, for highway 58 | |- |style=" color: #777; " |Thorold |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 9 |style=" color: #777; " |Street Ormond Street |style=" color: #777; " |removed |- |style=" color: #777; " |Thorold |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 10 |style=" color: #777; " |Canadian railroad Canadian National) |style=" color: #777; " |removed |- |Thorold |Bridge 11 |Road Canboro Road (regional Road 20) |Destroyed by the ship Windoc in 2001 |- |style=" color: #777; " |Thorold |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 12 |style=" color: #777; " |Street Bridge Street (regional Road 63) |style=" color: #777; " |Destroyed in 1974 by the ship Steelton |- |Welland | |Tunnel of the main street of Welland: (Regional Road 27) | |- |Welland | |Townline tunnel: Highway 58A and Canadian railroad | |- |Colborne port |Bridge 19 |Regional road 3 | |- |Colborne port |Lock 8 | | |- |Colborne port |Bridge 19A | Avenue Mellanby (regional Road 3A) | |- |style=" color: #777; " |Colborne port |style=" color: #777; " |Bridge 20 |style=" color: #777; " |Canadian railroad |style=" color: #777; " |removed |- |Colborne port |Bridge 21 |Street Clarence Street | |}

External bonds

Information on the channel Welland
Information on the channel Welland
Documents with plans
Information on the bridges of the area of the Niagara and Welland.
Public library of Welland
Images
Representations

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