International Negotiations
The pr
has jurisdiction over these boundary Work was begun on the power project Although the subject had been consider waters of the International Rapids Section) in August 1954. Thereafter it was possible
to approve the joint development of to start work on the seaway. ed for over a century, the first concerted action of the Governments of Canada and Power in that Section by the Hydro Elec- liminary works on the Canadian side were
tric Power Commission of Ontario and a undertaken in September 1954. the United States in connection with a deep waterway from the Great Lakes to power entity to be named by the United
States. It was the sea may be said to date at least as would build all the navigation facilities
understood that Canada Modification to Bridges
Part of the work necessary will require far back as 1905. Then a joint Interna- tional Waterways Commission was created
the Canadian side between Montreal the modification of bridges to conform to to deal with all matters relating to inter- and Lake Erie to provide for 27-foot the seaway regulations that bridges across national waters between Canada and the navigation. The International Joint Com- navigable streams shall have a minimum United States.
mission approved this power project on clearance of 120 feet. Since the Lachine canal skirts the South shore at Longueuil and the southerly spans of the Jacques Cartier Bridge do not provide such clear- ance, it becomes necessary to elevate the bridge.
Negotiations were begun and continued over the years with the end in view of finally establishing a deep waterway throughout the whole St. Lawrence Basin.
No subject has been more thoroughly
discussed,
none
ОП
October 29, 1952.
In June, 1953, the United States Federal Power Commission issued an order grant ing а 50-year licence to the Power Authority of the State of New York for the development of the United States half for this work together with
Plans and designs have been prepared a modern more carefully studied. of the power project in the International approach to the Bridge from the South. Rapids Section in conjunction with On This work is being done in co-operation tario Hydro.
with the Quebec Highway Department.
Harbours Board are proceeding with plans Concurrently with this work, the National
to add an additional traffic lane on the Jownstream side of the bridge.
When
tion these additions are completed, transporta- facilities across Jacques Cartier Bridge will be materially improved.
The matter of elevating Victoria Bridge, After ten years without progress, a new approach was adopted by Canada. First,
The situation thereby created called for however, is more complicated. This is a an agreement was concluded in December discussions between Canadian and United low-level bridge and to co-ordinate high- 1951 between the Governments of Canada States representatives to determine how way facilities with the rights of navigation and Ontario, providing for the construc- the seaway would be built. In the final presents a difficult problem. tion of the seaway by the Federal Govern analysis, the United States decided to The bridge is the property of the Cana- build a canal and two locks opposite dian National Railways. Their engineers
All of these studies culminated in first. the Treaty of Washington signed between Canada and the United States in 1932 which was NOT approved by the United In the meantime, however, the United States Senate. Next followed the Great States Congress enacted the Wiley-Dondero Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Agreement of Act authorizing and directing the St. 1941 concerning a deep waterway from Lawrence Seaway Montreal to the head of the Great Lakes. tion to construct on United States ter Development Corpora This Agreement failed to receive the ap ritory all the navigation facilities in the proval of the United States Congress.
International Rapids Section.
ment of Canada and for the development
of power in the International Rapids Barnhart Island in the International and those of the St. Lawrence Seaway
Section by Ontario and an entity to be Rapids Section and to do dredging in the Authority have agreed upon a plan to designated by the United States.
Thousand Islands Section. Then
Canada decid provide maintenance of the normal flow the approval of the Canadian Parliament ed to build a lock and canal near of traffic. A lift span will be installed for this agreement and legislation to pro- Section in addition to completing all the vehicular traffic lane will be available with
Iroquois in the International Rapids over
the proposed canal and an added vide for the construction of the seaway was secured.
necessary navigation facilities in Canadian the removal of tracks of the Montreal and territory between the Port of Montreal Southern Counties Railway. The Board Finally, an agreement was reached be- and Lake Erie. The estimated costs of of Transport Commissioners for Canada tween Canada and the United States the United States works are about $80 have authorised the removal of the tracks whereby both countries joined in asking million while the estimated costs of the and the C.N.R. will proceed to construct the International Joint Commission (which Canadian works are about $200 million. a downstream lane for motor vehicles on
the Victoria Bridge,
"HARTSHORNE-
HOUSE MOVER
Housemoving in the immediate vicinity of the St. Lawrence River, rendered neces- sary by the fact that seven communities will be submerged through the creation of a "Seaway Lake", some thirty miles long and from one to four miles wide. This phase of the project involves the removal of houses and other buildings to new townsites, facilitated summer and winter by the use of special equipment.
76
Use of the proposed canal embankment for a short distance will permit uninter- rupted vehicular traffic across the propos- ed seaway. The plan will be co-ordinated with plans for improvement of highway facilities across Victoria Bridge.
The southerly end of the Honore Mer- cier Bridge will be elevated and a satisfac- tory approach to the bridge from the Caughnawaga side will be constructed This will be done in co-operation with provincial highway authorities.
A moveable span will also have to be installed in the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge at Caughnawaga.
As can readily be appreciated, a tre mendous amount of engineering work is entailed in completing this seaway. The detailing of this work is beyond the scope of this article, but sufficient indication has been given of its international im- plications to realize that this project offers an outstanding example of bar. monious co-operation between the Unite-1 States and Canadian authorities, and is a model of what can be accomplished by goodwill between neighbour countries.