Sault Ste. Marie in Algoma District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Canal Under Construction, 1894
Views to the Past
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Le canal en construction, 1894
Images du passé
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 2024
1. Canal Under Construction, 1894 / Le canal en construction, 1894 Marker
August 1894
In 1894, about ten families lived in homes on South St. Marys Island. Mrs. Joyce Curry had relatives who lived on the island and recalled, “my great grandfather, Ed Gorby, was the operator of the swing bridge at the lock. And my grandfather, John Hackshaw, also worked for the railway at the time.... their home...was built on the upper tip of the island.”
En 1894, près de dix familles habitaient sur l'île Ste. Marie Sud. Mme Joyce Curry, qui avait de la famille sur l'île, se souvient : « Mon arrière-grand-père, Ed Gorby, était l'opérateur du pont tournant à l’écluse. Et mon grand-père, John Hackshaw, travaillait aussi pour les chemins de fer à l'époque... leur maison... se dressait à la pointe supérieure de l'île. »
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Location. 46° 30.786′ N, 84° 21.015′ W. Marker is in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in Algoma District. It can be reached from Canal Drive 0.7 kilometers south of Huron Street, on the left when traveling west. The marker is located at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site, on the observation deck atop the old Canalmen's Shelter building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Canal Drive, Sault Ste Marie ON P6A 6W4, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Area and in Northern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, in the Great North Woods, on Lake Superior’s North Shore, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 2024
2. Canal Under Construction, 1894 / Le canal en construction, 1894 Marker
Looking south across the canal; the south side of St. Marys Island is in the background.
Also see . . .
1. Sault Ste. Marie Canal (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The first canal near the site was built in 1798, but was destroyed in 1814 during the War of 1812. The present canal dates to 1895, and formed part of the shipping route from the Atlantic Ocean(Submitted on May 16, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)to Lake Superior, along with the two locks on the US side of the river. In 1998 a smaller lock was opened within the original canal. It is suitable for smaller boats and mostly used for pleasure craft.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 20243. Sault Ste. Marie Canal Powerhouse (west elevation)Looking down on the west side of the powerhouse from near the marker (atop the old Canalmens' Shelter).
2. Historic Powerhouse building to undergo significant restoration (Parks Canada).
Excerpt: The Sault Ste. Marie Canal was the longest and first electrically operated lock in the world when it opened in 1895. It was the last link in a 3,500 km all-Canadian waterway stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the western tip of Lake Superior. It was designated a national historic site in 1987.(Submitted on May 16, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Funded through the $557 million in funding announced by the Government of Canada in late 2022, work to the Powerhouse building has begun to improve the long-term sustainability and function of the historic asset. The Powerhouse building allowed the Sault Ste. Marie Canal to be the first electrically operated lock in the world and is the reason for the designation as a national historic site. This heritage building is undergoing significant structural stabilizationwork to remediate its deterioration, largely through groundwater mitigation efforts and other improvements including conservation, rehabilitation, and construction initiatives. Work at the Powerhouse began in late December 2023 and is expected to continue for approximately two years.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 11, 20244. Sault Ste. Marie Canal Powerhouse (NE elevation)Access is limited due to restoration in progress.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 106 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 16, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
