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Lake Erie on Nov. 30, 1829, Wil- liam Merritt was in charge of the entire project. He raised the funds through trips to New York City, Lower Canada and Eng- land; he let the contracts and paid the contractors; he was the man on the spot whenever prob- lems arose, and this was fre- quently. The canal idea that had started as a millrace and become a barge canal grew again. Midway through construction plans were altered to make it a ship canal. Even during construction the dimensions were changed several times and thus the three locks from St. Catharines to Lake On- tario were larger than those of the rest of the canal. During the height of construction Mer- ritt slept on a cot installed in the canal office. While returning from York (Tor- onto) in March of 1828 his coach overturned and he suffered a broken rib but his early return to the canal caused his wife to write to her mother, "He was not well when he left home but you know how it is, if business calls if he is able to crawl he will go." It was Merritt's driv— ing determination that got the canal built in spite of finan- cial and engineering problems. Even after the canal was opened in late 1829 many of the worries continued and it was Merritt's leadership that kept the canal from closing completely. In spite of Merritt's devotion, the canal's financial problems grew and with them the realiza- tion that it was not an operat- ion to be successfully handled by private enterprise. By 1841 the canal was completely in the hands of the Canadian Government and, although financially a failure, Merritt and his neigh- bors had succeeded in linking Lakes trie and Ontario with an operational ship canal. Before the canal was completely in Yov- ernment hands Merritt was in the process of switching careers. In 1832 he was elected to Parlia- ment and was to be connected with Government throughout the rest of his life. In 1832 he be- came first chairman of the St. Lawrence Canal Commission and he also actively promoted the first canal at the Soo. William Hamilton Merritt was stricken and died while travel- ling on the St. Lawrence Canal, near Cornwall, in 1862. Today only subtle reminders of the Father of North American Canals remain. The site of Mer- ritt's mills was long known as Merritton but is now part of St. Catharines. The former Merritton Town Hall is now a museum. Ina small park on St. Catharine's St. Paul Street there is a sta- tue of Merritt and his house now overlooks the park, serving as studios for radio station CKTB. During navigation season "Wel- land Canal Diary" is one of the station's most popular offerings originating from the home of the man whose vision and energy built the First Welland Canal. Dave Glick President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Editor Publications Manager Archivist OFFICERS FOR 1971-72 The Rev. Peter Van der Linden Hal Jackson Robert A. Zeleznik Robert Pocotte Curtis Haseltine J. Albin Jackman R. Warren McNab