The Welland Canal bypasses Niagara Falls for ships traveling between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
The canal crosses Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula and provides a navigable route around Niagara Falls, which blocks direct ship passage along the Niagara River. Its locks raise or lower vessels between the two lakes across a total elevation difference of about 326 feet.
The modern Welland Canal is the fourth major version of the route. Earlier canals were narrower and less capable of handling large vessels, while the present route forms part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway system.
The canal is sometimes confused with New York’s Erie Canal. The Erie Canal connects the Hudson River with Lake Erie, whereas the Welland Canal directly links the Great Lakes’ Erie and Ontario basins.