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NIAGARA’S SOUTH COAST

Welland CanalHistory of the Welland Canal in Port Colborne

Historic

The Welland Canal was originally established as solution to summer water shortages that plagued a grist mill operation near St. Catharines. In the early 1800s, the mill’s owner, William Hamilton Merritt, was searching for a new water supply at a higher elevation when he discovered the Welland River on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment. He was determined to divert this water supply into Twelve Mile Creek and thereby end his seasonal water problem. Merritt also had the idea of creating a deep enough channel to allow boats to pass through a series of locks down the escarpment into Twelve Mile Creek and on to Lake Ontario.

In 1829 “Mr. Merritt’s ditch” was completed from Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario to the summit of the escarpment at Port Robinson. From there, boats travelled down into the Welland River and on to Lake Erie via the upper Niagara River. The long route proved to be too time consuming and dangerous. As a result, in 1833 an extension of the canal was completed from the junction of a “feeder canal” at Welland through to Gravelly Bay, present-day Port Colborne.

The canal was enlarged and widened in the 1850s and again in the 1880s. By the turn of the 20th century it was determined that a new, larger canal was required. Construction of the Port Colborne section of the Welland Canal began in 1924, 100 years after the initial construction of Merritt’s original canal. The new Welland Canal was opened August 6, 1932.

Due to a shortage of funds, the first Welland Canal utilized wooden locks. There were 40 such locks constructed with Lock 40 at Port Colborne being the southernmost. Lock 40 was located adjacent to West Street at the junction of Sugarloaf Street. Two buildings from the first canal era still exist in their original locations: the Lakeview Hotel (62 West St.) and the Locktender’s House (corner of Sugarloaf and King Streets), also known as the “Stone House.” Both buildings were constructed circa 1835.

View of old locks and lift bridges from post card, circa 1930.Image courtesy of Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum

Lighthouses & BreakwaterThe first lighthouse in Port Colborne was built in the 1830s, shortly after the Welland Canal was extended to Lake Erie. Since then, the entrance to the canal has been reconfigured several times, which has made it necessary for new lighthouses to be built to continue

providing a navigational beacon for ships entering the canal. At present, Port Colborne has two lighthouses on the western breakwater in Gravelly Bay. The inner range light was built in 1903 consisting of a three-storey white concrete tower topped with a red parapet and lantern room. A large utility building is attached to it. The outer range light was built in 1928 when an older range light further inland was torn down. The new lighthouse is a one-and-a-half storey white concrete structure that is square in shape. It is topped with a red parapet and lantern room and also houses Port Colborne’s fog horn. On the eastern side of the canal entrance, ships are guided by beacons atop two modern, concrete towers.

The Gravelly Bay break water protects Gravelly Bay and the entrance of the canal from rough water when there are storms over Lake Erie. It also protects from icedams in the winter. The wall is over 1.3 kilometres in length and is ‘Y’ shaped. It was originally constructed in 1873, with extensions added in 1931.

Port Colborne inner range lighthouse, built in 1903.

Port Colborne outer range lighthouse, built in 1928.

Looking north through lock 26, built in the 1880s and used into the 1920s.View from West Street Viewing Platform.

The nautical tradition is continued on West Street with the presence of marine repair shops.

Historic West Street During the 19th century, Port Colborne developed into a thriving mercantile centre serving the marine trade. Ships waiting to pass through the canal tied up to the canal wall along West Street to purchase fresh produce, carry out repairs, or use the service of tug boats. The nautical heritage of Port Colborne is still reflected

in many of the buildings that line West Street. Allied Marine & Industrial, a ship servicing and repair company, continues the long tradition of having a workshop on West Street across from the canal.

An often forgotten aspect of Port Colborne’s history is East Street, which stood opposite to West Street on the eastern side of the

Locks 26 & 27The locks of the second and third canal exist side-by-side near the Clarence Street Bridge. Lock 27 of the second Welland Canal is closest to West Street and was constructed of cut stone in the early

1850s. On the second Welland Canal, lock 27 was the first lock on the canal when entering from Lake Erie. During its lifetime it operated as a “lift lock,” allowing a ship to sail “up” into the canal from Lake Erie. It wasn’t until the third canal era, 30 years later, that the canal was able to attain a water-level close to that of Lake Erie. When built, lock 27 was 46 metres in length.

For the third Welland Canal, the total number of locks was reduced from 27 to 26. A new lock was constructed directly beside old lock 27 in the 1880s, and these twin locks became known as lock 26. These twin locks allowed shipping traffic to flow in both directions. Again, lock 26 was the first lock when entering the canal from Lake Erie. The function of lock 26 was that of a “guard lock” – to regulate the seasonally fluctuating levels of Lake Erie, much as the present lock 8 does. Lock 26 was 82 metres long when it was built.

West Street Viewing Platform A viewing platform is located near the corner of West Street and Sugarloaf Street, where Lock 40 was once located. Lock 40 was the first lock on the canal when entering from Lake Erie. It was built in the early 1830s and removed during subsequent expansions of the canal. The viewing platform is the only vantage point along the entire Welland Canals Corridor to see remnants of all four Welland Canals. Along the west wall of the canal is the location of the channel of the first Welland Canal, then the locks of the second and third canals, and the inner harbour of the fourth or current Welland Canal.

first, second, and third Welland Canals. East Street was considered to be the centre of commerce for Port Colborne up until the end of the First World War. During the construction of the fourth Welland Canal, East Street and its buildings were torn down and the ground excavated to make way for the present shipping channel that flows under Bridge 21.

Weir ChannelsA weir channel is necessary to maintain a continuous flow of water through the canal. Weir channels typically provide the supply of water for filling locks and also an area where large volumes of water can be discharged during the emptying of locks. All four Welland Canals have utilized weir channels in their operation and they are usually found parallel to the lock.

Two weir channels were constructed in the 1880s along with lock 26 of the third canal parallel to lock 27. One was constructed as an “open weir” which was nearest to the lock. It has since been filled in and is part of the Port Promenade. The second, a covered or “tunnel weir,” is still located under West Street and is located to the west of

Photo of northern end of the weir channels and weir dam prior to the open weir channel being filled, circa 1920.Image courtesy of Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum.

Curved limestone entrance to the covered weir that still flows under West Street.

Canal CrossingsThe Hopkins Swing Bridge connected East Street and West Street prior to the construction of the current canal channel in the 1920s. It received its nickname from Samuel Hopkins, who operated a supply business across from the bridge on West Street. After the opening of the fourth canal, the swing bridge was no longer necessary and was removed. The stone abutments of the swing bridge can still be seen at the southern tip of the stone bulwark between the two lock channels.

The Clarence Street Lift Bridge, known as Bridge 21, is one of three remaining lift bridges operating on the Welland Canal. Built in 1929, the structure uses simple electric motors and counterweights to raise the deck high above passing ships allowing for a clearance of 36.5 metres. The raising or lowering of the bridge takes about 90 seconds. The western bridge approach over locks 26 and 27 was added when Bridge 21 was constructed, making these locks inoperable.

Bridge 21, built in 1929, still serves as a vital link connecting east and west Port Colborne.

Bridges 20 and 21 as they stood between 1929 and 1997, circa 1985.

the former open weir. The tunnel has its inlet near Charlotte Street and its outlet just north of the lift bridge. Legend has it rum-runners used the tunnel during prohibition to smuggle alcohol from the West Street taverns to the United States.

Bridge 20, also a lift bridge, stood just north of Bridge 21. Built in 1929 by the Canadian National Railway, the bridge served passenger and freight traffic. When the Port Colborne Harbour Railway was completed in the mid 1990s connecting Port Colborne to railway lines on the western side of the canal, Bridge 20 became unnecessary. It was removed in 1997.

Still present is the old railway bridge that crossed the twin locks and later served as the western approach to Bridge 20. This swing bridge was constructed with the third Welland Canal in the 1880s for the Buffalo and Lake Huron Railroad, a precursor to Canadian National Railway. In numerous locations the steel of the bridge bears the letter mark of the Carnegie Steel Company. The gear system on which the bridge pivoted is still visible between the bridge and centre support pylon.

Weir Dam – Main StreetThe bridge was built as part of the fourth Welland Canal, replacing a swing bridge over the first, second, and third canals at the same site. The dam beneath this bridge regulates the amount of water downstream in the canal, including seven lift locks stretching to Lake Ontario and a hydro-electric generating plant at Decew Falls in St. Catharines.

Lock 8 and Lock 8 Gateway ParkLock 8 on the east side of the Island serves as a guard lock for the canal, raising or lowering ships one to four feet, depending on the Lake Erie water levels. At 420 metres, it is one of the longest canal locks in the world. Being the southernmost lock on the present-day Welland Canal, many ships use time in the lock to have supplies replenished, switch crew, and undergo minor repairs.

Lock 8 Gateway Park, adjacent to Lock 8 has an elevated viewing platform to watch ships enter and exit the lock. The single-leaf rolling bascule, or jack-knife bridges at each end provide vehicle access to “The Island” and the east and west sides of the City.

Weir dam at Main Street West.

Ship entering lock 8, under jack-knife bridge (Bridge 19).

The IslandNorth of Clarence Street, the first three canals followed the west channel. This route made use of an old creek that passed through the village of Stonebridge, later named Humberstone. The natural watercourse was widened several times and augmented by limestone blocks serving as retaining walls.

Early in the 20th century it became feasible to blast through bedrock and construct a straighter, more direct eastern channel. It was accomplished in 1932 with the construction of the current Welland Canal. The area surrounded by the east and west canal channels is known locally as “The Island.” It was created by the cutting of the new fourth canal channel in the 1920s and the existence of the curved first, second, and third canal channels, thereby surrounding the entire area with water. Access to The Island from the east must be made by either of the jack-knife bridges at Lock 8. From the west, The Island can be accessed over the weir control structure at Main Street West, the weir crossing at Killaly Street West, or the pedestrian bridge at Derek Point. The western crossings pass over the route of the first, second, and third canals.

South point of “The Island”- weir channel to left, lock 8 to right.

The railway swing bridge, built in 1880s, with Canadian National Railway marking on the side.

Old Robin Hood Flour MillThe old Robin Hood mill is situated on the west bank of the “old” Welland Canal. The mill was built in the early 1940s to meet demand for flour during the Second World War. The large steel structure to the left of the building was a guide for the 15-storey ship unloader called the “marine tower” (no longer used), which rolled back and forth on railway tracks. The elevator itself has a capacity of 2.25-million bushels of wheat.

Port Colborne remains an active location for grain storage and milling. Both ends of the canal in Port Colborne are flanked by grain storage and milling facilities. Port Colborne’s location at the Lake Erie entrance to the Welland Canal and easy access to rail transportation has made the grain industry an important local economic activity.

Robin Hood mill on the weir channel.

Ramey’s BendAt Main Street, the old canal channel curves slowly eastward to a point where it meets the present-day canal. The location is known as Ramey’s Bend. After Ramey’s Bend, old and new channels co-exist to a point where a 1972 diversion allows the Welland Canal to bypass the City of Welland. Over the years, the construction of new shipping channels has moved the canal away from the commercial districts of St. Catharines, Thorold, and Welland. Only Port Colborne’s Downtown Business District remains bisected by the waterways.

This photo of Ramey’s Bend, circa 1980, shows the current alignment of the canal and remnants of the old alignment.

H.H. KnollLakeview

Park

City of Port ColborneEconomic Development, Tourism & Marketing

296 Fielden Avenue Port Colborne, ON L3K 4T6

Tel.: 905-834-1668

tourism@portcolborne.cawww.portcolborne.ca

Port Colborne is a city of 19,000 residents located on Niagara’s South Coast where the Welland Canal connects to Lake Erie. The city’s modern industries and urban setting are complemented by a rich heritage. European settlement of the Port Colborne area began in the 1790s, and bestowed an agrarian and grist-milling tradition that continues to this day and can be seen in many buildings and local landmarks. The Welland Canal was extended to Lake Erie in 1833 and proved to be instrumental in the formation of Port Colborne as a marine and industrial centre. It has also influenced residential growth and provides unique recreational opportunities. We invite you to explore history through the sites featured in this guide, and experience Historic Port Colborne.