What canal connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario around Niagara Falls?

The Welland Canal connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario around Niagara Falls.

The canal crosses Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula and provides a navigable route that bypasses the falls and the Niagara River’s steep elevation change. Modern ships use a series of locks to move between the two lakes, making the canal a vital part of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway transportation system.

The present canal is the fourth major version of the waterway. Construction of the first Welland Canal began in 1824, and later enlargements allowed increasingly large vessels to reach ports on the upper Great Lakes. The current route opened in 1932 and includes eight locks.

The Welland Canal is often confused with New York’s Erie Canal. The Erie Canal links the Hudson River with Lake Erie, while the Welland Canal directly links Lake Erie with Lake Ontario and avoids Niagara Falls.