About the St. Lawrence Seaway

The St. Lawrence Seaway is the waterway setting for the vessels documented in this archive. It provides the route through which ocean-going ships, including the “salties” featured here, reach the Great Lakes region.

The Montreal–Lake Ontario section

The Montreal–Lake Ontario section extends 306 km (189 mi). Construction began in 1954 and was completed in 1959. That section has seven locks: five in Canada and two in the United States.

The 1959 project connected the Great Lakes region with global markets, creating the historical setting for the international vessels represented in this archive.

A major public works project

Building the Seaway involved substantial waterway works and changed the landscape along the route. The project also included relocations that affected communities. This page notes that history briefly and respectfully; the official sources provide the fuller account.