Welland Canal Lock 7 - Ontario

Welland Canal Lock 7 is located in the city of Thorold in the province of Ontario, Canada. The Welland Canal connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario. He has a long history and is older than the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal.

In January 1824, the merchant William Hamilton Merritt founded Welland Canal Company. The first channel with 40 wood locks was opened in 1829 after a construction time from five years.

The 109 ft long wooden locks offered space for the then 98-feet sailing ships and the floodgates were opened with muscular strength.

In the course of time the channel has been changed many times. Today’s modern canal was opened in August 1932. It is 26 mi long and has 8 locks which allow the large ships to bridge a difference in height of 326.5 ft. Today the locks are traversable for ships with a maximum boat length of 740 ft.

Welland Canal Lock 7 is the southernmost lift over the Niagara Escarpment. Here you can observe the ship lifting at close hand. The vessels, often more than 720 ft long, fit precise to the inch into the lock basin.

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In time-lapse video you can see how the self-unloading bulk carrier Canadian Transport- passes through Lock 7.

The Canadian Transport is about 730 ft long, and was built in the Port Weller Dry Docks in St. Catharines, Ontario. Powered by two 8-cylinder MAN diesel engines she can reach a nominal speed of 13 knots.