Saint Lawrence Seaway

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is a series of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to reach the Great Lakes from the Atlantic Ocean. It begins at the port of Montreal, where the South Shore Canal (St-Lambert and Ste-Catherine locks) passes the Lachine Rapids. West of the Island of Montreal and Lac Saint-Louis, the Beauharnois canal and locks pass the Beauharnois hydroelectric dam.

The seaway then leaves Quebec through Lac Saint-François and the Akwesasne Mohawk First Nation, and passes through New York State and Ontario. In New York, the Wiley-Dondero Canal (Snell and Eisenhower locks) passes the Moses-Saunders power dam, and the short Iroquois lock passes the Iroquois water level control structure.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is often considered together with the Great Lakes Waterway: the Welland Canal which pass Niagara Falls, and the Sault locks that pass Sault Ste. Marie.

The seaway is co-administered by Canada and the United States. It's first use began on April 25, 1959, although it wasn't officially opened until June 26th, 1959.

External links:

• Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System web site