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The Canada Steamship Lines carrier BARRIE was built to the dimensions of the Third Welland Canal. This ship, now scrapped, is shown below Bridge 14 on Oct. 12, 1957 in a photo by John N. Bascom. 150 years of progress Originally an ocean tanker, the NORTHERN VENTURE was rebuilt to the maximum dimensions allowed by the present canal locks. A photo by Skip Gillham shows her near Port Colborne on June 28, 1971. A brief history of the canal system THE FIRST CANAL The original plan for the Welland Canal was to have it follow the valley of Twelve Mile Creek from Lake tunnel that was 14 feet high with a 6- foot dra It was ‘finally decided to climb the Escarpment by means of locks and to dig an open channel to Chippawa Creek. This would allow vessels to pass easily into the Niagara River at a point 2-1/2 miles above the falls and thence to Lake Erie. A feeder channel had also been constructed allowing vessels with a draft up to four feet to pass into Lake Erie at Port Maitland and Dunnville. It soon became evident that both This was put into operation in June oO . The first canal was 27-1/2 miles long. It had 40 wooden locks, 110 feet in length, 22 feet in width and 8 feet in depth. The remains of these old locks are still visible when the existing portion of the Second Canal between Thorold and Lake Ontario is unwatered. THE SECOND CANAL The route chosen for the Second Canal was practically the same, throughout its length, as the First Canal. By increasing the lift of each lock, the builders were able to reduce the | Lichesc equine to ascend the These new locks were con- structed of stone and measured 150 feet in length 26-1/2 feet in width and had a 9-foot draft over the sills. Between 1845 and 1850, ship- ping travelled via the Feeder Canal Port Maitland while the main channel was being reconstructed to Port Colborne. In 1853 the canal was improved by raising the banks and lock walls to increase the draft to 10 feet. At the time of Canadian Confedera- tion, on July 1, 1867, steam was be- ginning to grow in popularity as a source of power and the canal was beginning to be a bottleneck for ship- ping. In 1870 a Commission was appointed to recommend improve- ments to the canal. THE THIRD CANAL In 1871 a recommendation was put m Lawrence and Welland Canals. These would be 270 feet long, 45 feet wide a 12-foot draft. This last dimension was est tira Pd 14 feet. Vessels built the im dimensions allowed by these | jocks ‘teva become known as canallers and a few still remain in pro- fitable service on the Great Lakes today. This third Welland Canal fol- pee practically the same route as econd Canal from Port Colbome to Allanburg, but then it left Twelve Mile Creek to follow a more direct path to Port Dalhou: This Third Canal was 26-3/4 miles in length and was opened to traffic in 1881. However, it was not until 1887 that the 14-foot draft extended ha lanath af the nanal By 1905 it was evident that a greatly enlarged canal was required to meet the increasing size and Raa of ships. Surveys were beg! 1907, and five years later the Srst apprepit ation was made for the construction of the Fourth Canal. THE FOURTH CANAL Construction on the shea cnpoue Canal began in 1913, but wer and material shortages coated. by World War One forced suspension of work in the spring of 1916. Work re- sumed in 1919 and continued until completion in 1932. The original course was generally followed from Port Colborne to Thorold but the Ship Canal fol- lowed the Ten Mile Creek Valley and joined Lake Ontario at Port | harbour had to is latter site and it extended a mile and a half into Lake Ontario. The Ship Canal measures 26.8 miles long and contains seven lift locks and one guard lock. Loc! at Port Colborne measures 1,380 feet long with six of the others stretching 859 feet and one 865 feet. Each has a width of 80 feet with 30 feet of water transit the waterway. To tion the “‘flight locks” twinned to permit simultaneous up- bound and downbound navigation. creased the time required to pass from Lake Ontario t Lake Erie and helped ace cannectins