The Saint Lawrence Seaway connects the heartland of North America with the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River. The extensive system of locks, dams, and canals allows for both the effective transportation of bulk freight, and the generation of vast amounts of electricity. The Seaway system is a major contributor to both the Canadian and American economies, with approximately ¼ of North America's population inhabiting the surrounding area. The development of the seaway has been long and arduous, requiring public finance, international negotiation, resettlement of significant communities, and considerable innovation in engineering. Origins of the St. Lawrence Seaway
It has been nearly a half-century of construction and improvements to bring the official “St Lawrence Seaway” to its current state. However, the importance of developing a viable travel route along the St. Lawrence and into the Great Lakes has been recognized for centuries. In 1680, Dollier de Casson, a missionary from Montreal, tried to build a 1.5m deep canal to bypass the first major obstacle on the inland route of the St. Lawrence river – the Lachine rapids. The task was more difficult than he imagined and, by 1701, the canal was only 1.6 kilometres long and stranded with practically no funds to continue its construction.
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