the welland canal

Every time I go to the Welland Canal I think about how fortunate I am to live so close to such a beautiful location. I have used the canal to go for a walk with my family and sit on a bench to enjoy an ice cream, ride my bike, walk my dog and also take my kayak out for a paddle. The Welland Canal is such a great location and I feel privileged to be able to use it.

It is something special to watch one of those big ships go from top to the bottom. I recommend making the trip atleast once since the experience will be worth it. There is lots of other things to do and walking trails to enjoy.

unique part of history that is celebrated in this city.There is a museum at Lock 7 that is worth the trip.

Watching a boat go through the locks is amazing. To think this system was built with no heavy machinery is unbelievable. The old bridges are also a classic. Visit lock seven, there is a museum there also.

It is good to have multiple waterways in this city. The Welland Canal not only has a tremendous amount of history, but it also attracts much wildlife to the area.

Great walks, the parks and walking trails are kept very clean and safe, great place to walk the dog, jog or ride your bike

Lock 7 is a beautiful place to visit, both to watch the huge ships coming through the locks, and to see the whole history of the canal in the museum. It is a small park all around the area and is very scenic

lock 7 is a great place to go see ships pass through the locks and read about the canals historygive yourself a little time as ships are not always there.......

What waste of a water way made for boats! This city is back wards, should have condos built on the coast lines with shops in all of them, Welland needs to get with the times

The Welland Canal is an engineering marvel that can be fully appreciated at Lock 7's viewing platform. There is a very informative visitors center at Lock 7, and if you are lucky, you'll be there when a ship comes through the lock. If you are really lucky, one of the volunteer docents will be on hand to explain it all to you. It's fascinating to watch the ship enter, tie up, and lower deep into the lock (or vice versa, depending on the direction), and then see the massive doors swing open as the ship departs. The whole process takes much less time than one would expect, and the platform is so close to the lock that every step is easily viewed. Well worth a stop!

Whether you're just visiting or are a life-time southern Ontarian (as I am), it's fascinating to watch huge lake freighters move smoothly through the locks. At Lock 7, there is a viewing area that offers you a close-up look at the workings of the lock. Don't miss the Information Centre where friendly staff answer whatever questions you might have. Estimated times of arrival of ships are posted there, too.

This is the first Canal that I visited. It was very informative. When I visited there were 2 ships on each lane crossing the canal. It took probably 20- 25 minutes for the ships to enter and exit the lock.Unfortunately, the weather was bad. It rained for all the time I was there.

Welland canal connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie through 8 locks that allow ocean liners to travel through the great lakes. It is an amazing engineering work, allowing shipping through the Great Lakes. There is an observation site and the third lock, but you can climb the escarpment with your car along the canal and observe the whole length of the canal from Port Weller along Lake Ontario (lock 1) to the city of Welland along the shores of Lake Erie. I highly recommend a visit to Lock 3 and a drive along the canal, at least from Port Weller to the city of Thorold. It is well worth the drive!

We enjoy going to the locks to see the huge ships come through the locks. It is fascinating to watch as the water raises or lowers these huge vessels! At Lock 3 you can visit the museum for a nominal fee and learn about the canals and the shipping. We have driven from lock 1 to lock 7 and ended up at lock 7 to share a kiss at the kissing rock! It is amazing to see the steps the ships have to take to climb the mountain! A must see adventure if you are in the Niagara area. The hosts at the welcome centres along the way and very friendly and helpful. It's only operating from March to the end of November! To find out when the ships are going through the locks go to this web page: http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/R2/jsp/VT00.jsp?language=E

There is no West Street in Welland, but in Port Colborne which is very nice. The WRCC operates the rentals to the public. SNCC and Notre Dame Rowing Club are private and pay for their facility. Although they attempt to generously share the space with interested public it is not technically a public launch site. There are other launch sites near the Lincoln Street bridge.For anyone interested in the flat water sports of sprint canoe, sprint kayak or dragon boat the SNCC offers a '3 for free' trial. Whether you are a local or a visitor it is worth checking out their website and taking advantage of this great offer.