St Lawrence Seaway Opens Soon
Apr 10, 2025
The Seaway System is about to open for another season, and the 15 locks (eight in the Welland Canal and seven in the Montreal-Lake Ontario section) will welcome shipping and navigation for commercial cargo vessels, cruise ships and pleasure craft. Together, the locks make up the world’s most spectacular lift system, each filled and emptied by gravity to facilitate the movement of marine traffic over elevation changes.
Ships measuring up to 225.5 metres in length (or 740 feet) and 23.8 metres (or 78 feet), in the beam are routinely raised to more than 180 metres above sea level, as high as a 60-story building. The ships are twice as long and half as wide as a football field and carry cargoes the equivalent of 25,000 metric tonnes.
The Welland Canal running as a connector between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, is a well-traveled route for pleasure craft, and safety in the locks is paramount for a smooth experience for all users.
Visit https://greatlakes-seaway.com/en/pleasure-craft/ for more information on transiting the locks including fees and your quick start guide for the pleasure craft reservation system.
