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To download a Welland Canal PDF brochure, click here.
The concept of a canal to replace the
long established portage route around Niagara Falls was first mooted in
1799, when Robert Hamilton, a local Niagara merchant, promoted a bill
in the Provincial Parliament of Upper Canada (Ontario) to build one. Action
had to await the cessation of hostilities between America and Britain,
and it was not until 1821 that the Provincial Parliament passed an "Act
for the Improvement of the Internal Navigation of the Province". The intent
was to look into both a Welland canal and a canal connecting Lake Ontario
with the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers. Prior to the passage of this act William
Merritt, the son of an Empire Loyalist, who had a business at Twelve Mile
Creek, had surveyed a canal route to connect the Chippewa (now Welland)
River to Twelve Mile Creek. The intent was not necessarily navigation,
as a drought in 1818 had caused him to look for alternative water sources
to power his mills.
The Board of Commissioners, established under the Act, visited New York
to inspect the Erie Barge Canal and decided on a Canadian barge canal
that would connect the Grand River, south of Brantford, with Burlington
Bay (where Hamilton now stands). After much survey work on this route,
it was not until 1824 that it was recognized as impractical. Merritt incorporated
the Welland Canal Company in 1824 and money was raised in both Upper and
Lower Canada as well as in New York and England for the enterprise. Construction
commenced in Allanburg on November 30, 1824, but the first canal went
through a number of changes before it was finished. Originally conceived
as a barge canal, with a two mile summit tunnel, it was replanned to take
schooners with a summit cut. Further problems with the soils on the summit
required the construction of a feeder canal from the Grand River at Dunnville.
Eventually, on November 29, 1829 the British schooner "Annie and Jane",
followed by the American "R.H. Boughton" locked up to the summit and then
down to the Chippewa. They arrived in Buffalo on December 2nd via theNiagara
River, returning to the canal on the 3rd. There were 36 locks 110´ x 22´
x 7´6?, and three larger ones of 125´ x 32´ x 9´6?. All were made of wood
and the larger locks were the result of an attempt, in 1826, to accommodate
the new steamers, but the costs were too high. Because of the nature of
the terrain, ships had to lock up to the summit level, and then lock down
to the Chippewa. The Chippewa enters the Niagara River just above the
Falls and, because of the danger of high currents, Merritt proposed to
take the canal across the Chippewa to Port Colborne on Lake Erie. In 1831
the Government of Upper Canada granted additional funds and the work was
completed in 1833. By 1837 the canal company was in poor financial shape
and in 1841 the Government of Upper Canada bought out the stockholders
and commenced major improvements. Work started in 1842 on the second canal,
which was to have new masonry locks of 150´ x 26´6? x 9´. There had been
considerable discussion about the canal having locks of 200´ x 45´ x 9´,
but only three were built to enable larger vessels to access St. Catharines.
At this time there was also increasing concern about the variability
of water flows on the Grand River due to forest clearance and swamp drainage
in the upstream areas. It was decided that the river could notbe depended
upon to supply the summit pound, and the summit cut was deepened to eliminate
the locking down on the south side. Commencing in 1881 the canal drew
water directly from Lake Erie. Other improvements with the second canal
included deepening to 10´ between 1853 and 1855.
Although these depths seem shallow, they have to be taken in context
with work going on with canals in Lower Canada (Quebec) to improve navigation
around the rapids on the St. Lawrence River, and the shallow ports in
the Upper Lakes. For example, until 1855 the bar at the main mouth of
the St. Clair River in Lake St. Clair had only 6´ of water, and the Detroit
River at Lime Kiln Crossing was limited to 13´. The US, with a combination
of State, Federal and private initiatives was improving ports, harbors
and channels throughout the Lakes. Rapidly increasing ship size, to take
advantage of the new channels in the Upper Lakes limited the number of
ships that could use the Welland Canal, and traffic stagnated. Also, improvements
in the Erie Barge Canal were creating considerable traffic diversion through
Buffalo.
The new Dominion of Canada completed the third Welland Canal in 1887
on a radically different alignment, between Port Dalhousie and the escarpment,
than the first and second canals. Lock sizes were increased to 270´ x
45´ x 14´ with only 26 locks. The second and third canals operated in
parallel until 1915.
Planning for the fourth canal - the one in use today - began in 1895,
with a determination to significantly increase the size of the locks and
to follow a different route, along Ten Mile Creek. This route would give
better soil and rock conditions for construction, and enable the locks
to be founded in bed rock. Construction commenced in 1913 and was eventually
finished in 1931. There were major improvements in 1932 and 1959 regarding
channel depths, and in 1973 the Welland bypass was built which realigned
the canal and avoided the town of Welland. Lock sizes are 780´ x 80´ x
26´ except Lock 8 which is 1,380´ long.
Because so much of the original canal has been built over, it is difficult
to see the old canals and works, except on foot. For example, the alignment
from the escarpment to Lake Erie is essentially the same as for the cut
built by Merritt in 1833. At Lock 3, the Fourth Canal crosses the line
of the Third Canal and traces can be seen off the east bank. Also, in
Port Colborne on the west bank there are some of the original locks. Because
the land slopes west to east, once over the summit the canal cuts across
the natural water flow. The Welland (or Chippewa) River is taken under
the canal by an inverted syphon at mile 13. There are various entrances
to old portions of the canal to be seen. These are now used as turning
basins, or for dock access.
Lock Number Mile Normal Lift
1 2 46´0"
2 3 46´5"
3 5.5 46´5"
4 47´9"
5 6.5 47´9"
6 43´7"
7 7.5 46´5"
8 21 2´11"
Comparison between: Welland Canal and Panama Canal
Welland Panama
Opening date 1st 1829 1914
2nd 1845
3rd 1887
4th 1931
Length 28 miles 55 miles
Lift 326´ 85´
Locks 8 6
Max. ship dimensions 740´ x 78´ x 26´3" 965´ x 106´ x 39´6
 
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