Welland Canal locks
Welland Canal locks | Credit: USN

The Welland Canal connects Lake Ontario and Lake Erie through a series of eight locks, allowing ships to bypass the Niagara Falls.

The canal traverses the Niagara Peninsula between Port Weller on Lake Ontario, and Port Colborne on Lake Erie, a difference in elevation of 326 feet.

Locks on the Welland Canal are 766 ft (233.5 m) long, 80 ft (24.4 m) wide, and 30 ft (9.14 m) deep. The maximum allowed vessel size is slightly smaller: 740 ft (225.6 m) long, 78 ft (23.8 m) wide, and 26.5 ft (8.1 m) deep.

The Welland Canal closes during winter, usually between January and March depending on ice conditions. Each Spring, the Captain of the first ship through the canal is honored with a Top Hat ceremony.

At Lock 3, the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre is a favorite stop for ship spotting enthusiasts.

The Welland Canal is part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway.

Related Information

Waterways

St. Lawrence Seaway

The Great Lakes of North America