Copies of two dispatches upon the subject of the Welland Canal, 1827-1828

The material is a printed record of two dispatches sent by Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada to secretary of state for the colonies, the first in 1827 to Earl Bathurst, the second in 1828 to Right Hon. W. Huskisson. The dispatches concern funding for the canal as well as an introduction of William Hamilton Merritt as managing agent of the Welland Canal Company. It was the intention of the Welland Canal Company to send Mr. Merritt to England to gain further assistance from the government and private investors.

Canadian Canal Society fonds, 1896, 1904, 1966, 1973-2013

The Canadian Canal Society was founded in 1982 in St. Catharines, Ontario. The Society is a "not-for-profit, educational, scientific and historical organization, dedicated to the preservation of the canal heritage of Canada." To this end, the Society endeavours to promote the collection and publication of materials related to the preservation, documentation and interpretation of Canadian canals. Their newsletter, Canals Canada/Canaux du Canada is distributed to Society members, and regular field trips are organized for interested members.

Welland Canal/St. Lawrence Seaway Authority fonds, 1826-1880, 1905-1951

The Welland Canal Company was formed in 1824 by William Hamilton Merritt. Construction of the first Welland Canal began in 1829 and was completed in 1834. The canal ran south from Port Dalhousie along Twelve Mile Creek to St. Catharines. An extension was built in 1833 to Gravelly Bay, now Port Colborne. As ships became larger and the wooden locks deteriorated, the need for a new canal became apparent. In 1839, the government purchased the Welland Canal Company’s assets and began making plans for the construction of a second canal. Construction began in 1841 and was completed by 1845. In 1887, a third Welland Canal was completed, which operated until 1932, when a fourth canal was completed. This canal remains in operation today.