The Welland Canal

Previous Thread Next Thread
B

Big Rig

Well-known member
May 6, 2009
2,422
515
113
Overshadowed by the Niagara falls but watching freighters slowly rise or fall in the locks almost like seeing whole buildings float upward on water.

One of Canada's greatest engineering works. Comparable to Panama or Suez.

Great day trip. Do some hiking and watch the locks work and think about where we would be without them as trucks and trains could never do a fraction of what boats do.

They would still be unloading the boats in Lake Eire then reloading in Lake OntaRIO
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: silentkisser, Lisandro, jarhead and 3 others
P

Ponderling

Lotsa things to think about
Jul 19, 2021
2,215
1,960
113
Mississauga
It is also fun to read of its history.
It has been quite a few years, but I think the current canal is the 3rd or 4th iteration of a canal that traverses the route.
I cannot recall if the first works were finished, or just went broke and were picked up by the second syndicate.

In Welland there is/was an intersting food festival with a focus on Ontario game meat.
Again it has been about 20 years since I was there.
It happens in a linear park formed between a former and later version of the canal.
 
R

Ryan_Coke

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2024
502
777
93
Having cruised in the Panama Canal, the Welland Canal is much more impressive, although Panama is capable of handling much larger ships. Welland has 4x the elevation change as Panama, but Panama has the exotic location. Even the triple set of locks on Welland that you see from the Garden City Skyway are about 50% higher than the Panama triple locks at Gatun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TomMark and jarhead
B

Big Rig

Well-known member
May 6, 2009
2,422
515
113
Ryan_Coke said:
Having cruised in the Panama Canal, the Welland Canal is much more impressive, although Panama is capable of handling much larger ships. Welland has 4x the elevation change as Panama, but Panama has the exotic location. Even the triple set of locks on Welland that you see from the Garden City Skyway are about 50% higher than the Panama triple locks at Gatun.
Click to expand...
Think of the drop in niagara falls then double it that is the lift of the welland canal
 
  • Like
Reactions: TomMark and jarhead
2

261252

Nobodies business if I do
Sep 26, 2007
1,307
1,093
113
Sounds like a really nice day trip. Do a lot of walking while watching the boats




  • Check a live vessel tracker: Apps and websites like MarineTraffic show ships moving in real time. You can see a freighter approaching and drive to a lock 20–30 minutes before it arrives, instead of waiting blind.
  • Watch for the flashing lights: At Lock 3 (the most popular spot), if the bridge warning lights are flashing, a ship is about 10 minutes away.
  • Go on a weekday afternoon: As a rule of thumb, weekday daylight hours tend to have steady commercial traffic.
On a typical busy day in season, around 4 to 6 vessels pass through Lock 3 alone, so even a 90-minute visit gives you a solid chance of catching one.
 
R

Ryan_Coke

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2024
502
777
93
I took the kids to Niagara Falls for a few days back about 15 years ago in the summer and we stopped at the Lock 7 viewing site in Thorold. They even have a little mini set of bleachers like you would see at a neighbourhood baseball park set up. We happened to time it as there were a couple ships going by in opposite directions. Actually the one heading towards Lake Ontario we happened to catch at the tunnel as I missed the exit I was supposed to take (and had to double back on the other side of the tunnel). It was pretty cool coming down the highway and seeing a ship right in front of you and then you go under. At Lock7, you can stand at the fence right at the edge of the canal. The viewing area is just past the actual lock so the ships are starting to move at this area and we had crew members talking to us as they went by. Someone asked what they were carrying, "Iron ore" one guy replied. I yelled out "26000 tons more than your ship weighs empty?", he missed the reference lol.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TomMark and jarhead
V

Varmitt

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2004
1,099
319
83
Big Rig said:
Overshadowed by the Niagara falls but watching freighters slowly rise or fall in the locks almost like seeing whole buildings float upward on water.

One of Canada's greatest engineering works. Comparable to Panama or Suez.

Great day trip. Do some hiking and watch the locks work and think about where we would be without them as trucks and trains could never do a fraction of what boats do.

They would still be unloading the boats in Lake Eire then reloading in Lake OntaRIO
Click to expand...
Even though going through the Suez Canal is quite the experience, there aren’t any locks to experience
 
  • Like
Reactions: TomMark
P

Ponderling

Lotsa things to think about
Jul 19, 2021
2,215
1,960
113
Mississauga
About 30 years ago I was contract inspecting installation of weather stations roadside at east and west abuttments of the Garden City Skyway.
That bridge carries the QEW over the Welland Canal.
We were working 10pm to 6 am.
The contractor was stringing a fibre optic cable across the main span to tie the weather stations in.
The messenger had just been strung across.
It is a steel cable that the fibre is lashed to.
It was still sagging quite a bit and the come alongs ratchet winches and cable grips were being fitted to tighten things up.
A horn blows.
Holly Shit.
A big ship was coming in from the lake.
Ratchets were quickly actuated and the steel cable tightened up.
Just enough in time to miss the antennas on top of the ships' bridge.

The weather stations ran for 2 years and answered the question that, yes winter mix concrete could be placed in all but some February days, to do the coming planned re-decking work. The original deck dated to about 1958.
The weather up on top of that big bridge is quilte a bit different than that found on the ground.
The wind chill in a stiff breeze can be 5x that found on the ground, with buildings and trees and the land itself working to slow the breeze down.

There is currently a design build contract under way to twin this bridge.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TomMark and somjay
B

Big Rig

Well-known member
May 6, 2009
2,422
515
113
I went to lock 3 just off the QEW where they have the museum

They have a viewing platform beside the lock.

Some things I learned

1 the boats actually slide along the cement embankment before entering lock as this guides the ship.

Look at the stern of some Lakers and you can see the scrap marks

2 They attach giant suction cups to the side of the ship that rise/fall with the water to stabilize the ship

3 they empty the canal in off season
 
  • Like
Reactions: TomMark and Zoot Allures
anon1

anon1

Well-known member
Aug 19, 2001
11,084
3,106
113
Tranquility Base, La Luna
Zoot Allures said:
The canal from lock 1 to 7 for maintenance
It is very controlled and slow to stop banks from collapsing
Click to expand...
And to fish out all the cars dumped into it.
I knew a guy who salvaged a XJ12 Jag to get the the independent rear suspension and inboard brakes for a hot rod he was building.
Paul Bernardo's beige 240SX was suposedly dumped in the canal.
 
richaceg

richaceg

Well-known member
Feb 11, 2009
21,576
12,239
113
Massive lock! There are tons of locks in the Kawarthas... have to go through them when fishing multiple lakes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Previous Thread Next Thread
Toronto Escorts
Top Bottom