Welland Canel Lock 3

Fun: Visit a canal lock and see how ships travel between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie through the canal lock (Bypassing Niagara Falls)

Learn: Engineering, Transportation

When you see the powerful Niagara Fall, have you ever though where does water come from, and where does water go? Niagara river starts at Fort Erie and drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario at Niagara-On-The-Lake. At Niagara Falls, Water drops 50 meter. It shows Lake Eric is at higher water level than Lake Ontario. Obviously, ships travelling between lake Eric and Lake Ontario cannot pass Niagara Falls.

The Welland Canal is a ship canal, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It forms a key section of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway. Traversing the Niagara Peninsula from Port Weller in St. Catharines to Port Colborne, it enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment and bypass Niagara Falls (Wikipedia). The Welland Canal has 8 ship locks. Lock 3 is located in the Welland Canals Centre where there is an observation deck for visitors to see how the ship lock works.

Research and Explore

Can you find a bascule bridge of the Welland Canal?

Photo/Video: Xin Yi Zhang