Impact of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway on the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William, 1959-1969

Abstract

By its very nature, the St. Lawrence Seaway project, completed in 1959, can be seen as the last of the great Canadian mega-projects. An international venture, involving the expense of millions of dollars and employment of thousands of Canadians and Americans, it effectively changed the course of the St Lawrence river: sections of the river were deepened, others by-passed, while still others flooded, all the name of making this river, connecting the great Lakes with the ocean, navigable to ocean-going vessels. For the Canadian government, the primary motivation in the Seaway's improvement was the country's continued economic growth.