No_1_1956 — Page 77

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THE

ST. LAWRENCE

SEAWAY

By courtesy of the

Canadian Government

Trade Commissioner

Photos by

Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.

Air view of the eastern entrance to the St. Lawrence Seaway, showing part of the channel between the Jacques Cartier and Victoria Bridges now being excavated. In order to provide a clearance of rzo ft., piers of the southern end of the Jacques Cartier Bridge, in foreground, will be enlarged and the roadway itself raised with jacks without causing any material interruption to traffic.

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The St. Lawrence Seaway is essentially water highway from the sea to the heartland of North America. Since the days of the first half of the 16th Century, when the explorer Jacques Cartier was turned back by the rushing waters of the Lachine Rapids from his dream of finding the Northwest Passage and the route to the rich and glamorous East, men have devoted their thoughts and their works to the building of a deep waterway from the Atlantic Ocean into the great inland lakes. Today, but for a small portion, this dream has been realised.

There remains, however, a 14-foot bot- tleneck between Montreal and Prescott which must be removed and the provision of deeper channels between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to allow 27-foot navigation throughout the St. Lawrence.

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The Soulanges Section extends from deep water at the head of Lake St. Louis to deep water at the foot of Lake St. Francis, another widening in the course of the St. Lawrence.

оп the

From Montreal, via the Lachine

The present Soulanges Canal Canal, Lake St. Louis, the Soulau- ges Canal, Lake St. Francis, the opposite side of the river, begun in 1892 Cornwall Canal, the Farran's Point and completed in 1899 has five locks, a Canal, the Rapide Plat or Morris- total lift of 84 feet and provides 14-foot overcome the Cascades, burg Canal and the Galop Canal to navigation to a point four miles below Prescott, Split Rock, Cedars and Coteau Rapids, in Ontario, the governing depth is 14 ascending order, in this section.

feet.

The power canal at Beauharnois for From just below Prescott, Ontario, hydro-electric development completed in through the Thousand Islands Sec- 1932 was built with the design to give a tion of the St. Lawrence River to 27-foot channel and now awaits the con- deep water in Lake Ontario, there struction of necessary locks and other are maintained channels which give navigation essentials to provide the deep a depth of water of 25 feet.

From Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. via the 27-mile Welland Ship Canal, the present available depth of water is 25 feet. From Lake Erie to the Head of the Lakes, there

maintained channels which give a depth of water of 25 feet for downbound vessels and 21 feet for upbound vessels.

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waterway through this section of the river.

The International Rapids Section ex- tends from St. Regis at the head of Lake St. Francis to Chimney Point, East of Prescott. It has a total difference of water level of some gz feet and this is overcome by a series of canals.

The first of these, proceeding up-river, is at Cornwall, next in order is the Far- ran's Point Canal, then the Rapide Plat Canal at Morrisburg, and last is the Galop Canal at Iroquois.

To provide this navigational facility is a mighty task and for its accomplishment and future operation. the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority was constituted by Act of Parliament in December, 1951. Present Facilities for Navigation

In the giant steps which the St. Law- Under present conditions, and as they rence River system takes from the level The obstacle to navigation between will remain until the completion of the of Lake Superior to the Atlantic, there is Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is presented St. Lawrence Seaway scheduled to be a drop of 6oz feet. The river drops 326 by the Niagara River, its rapids and ready for the opening of the navigation feet through the Welland Ship Canal and Niagara Falls. Between the lakes there season of 1959 shipping moves by the 225 feet from the level of Lake Ontario is a difference in level of 326 feet. This following navigational facilities:

to Montreal.

is overcome by the Welland Ship Canal, which crosses the Niagara Peninsula 10 J. From the Atlantic Ocean to Mon- The Lachine Canal, now eight and

miles west of Niagara Falls. It is some treal and in that Port and at its three-quarter miles long and 14 feet deep,

27 miles in length. wharves there is maintained a depth has a total lift of 50 feet and gives ac- of water of 35 feet. A deepwater cess from the Port of Montreal to Lake ship channel to that depth is dred- St. Louis, that widening in the St. Law ged and maintained from a point rence River which is increased by the 30 miles below Quebec City to confluence with the Ottawa River from Montreal.

the North and West.

The lift from lake to lake is accomplish- ed with only eight locks, seven of these are 859 feet long and one is 1,380 feet in length. All are 80 feet wide with 30-foot depth over the lock sills.

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