Welland in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
The Aqueducts
The Canal Structures
Photographed by Kevin Westell, August 1, 2025
1. The Aqueducts - Marker
The first aqueduct was built to enable the feeder canal to pass over the river and supply the main canal at Pt. Robinson with water. It was a unique structure, built of white pine timbers and planks. All traces of this structure have now disappeared. It was thought to have measured 365 ft long, 24 ft wide and 5-6 ft deep. It would have stood between the present aqueduct and the Niagara St Bridge. The small community that developed to keep this strcture in repair was the beginning of the city of Welland. It was called Aqueduct. The aqueduct, later know as the Cross St. Pool, was completed in 1845. If this aqueduct could be restored to its original configuration, we would see a cut-stone structure, 45 ft wide, 316 ft long and having a depth of almost 11 ft. Supporting this structure are four stone arches, each 45 ft wide, through which the river flowed. As larger vessels began to populate the Great Lakes, the need for another aqueduct was indicated. This structure was completed in 1887, built just west of the second aqueduct and created an island in the middle of the third canal. The new cut-stone aqueduct was slightly longer than its predecessor and was supported by 6 arches, each 40 ft wide. When the present aqueduct was built in between 1928-31, the third aqueduct was demolished.
Le premier aqueduc fut construit pour permettre au canal d'alimentation de passer par-dessus la rivière et d'alimenter le canal principal à Port Robinson. Ce fut un structure unique, construite de bois de charpente et de plances de pin blanc. Toutes les traces de cette structure sont maintenant disparues. On a estimé qu'il aurait mesuré 365 pieds de long, 24 pieds de large et 5 à 6 pieds de profondeur. Il aurait été situé entre l'aqueduc actuel et le pont de la rue Niagara. La petite communauté de Welland s'est mise en place pour garder la structure en bon état. L'aqueduc, connu plus tard comme la piscine de la rue Cross, fut complété en 1845. Si cet aqueduc pouvait être restauré à sa configuration d'origine, nous pourrions observer une structure en pierre taillée de 45 pieds de large, 316 pieds de long at ayant une profondeur de presque 11 pieds. Quatre arches en pierre taillée de 45 pieds de large chacune soutiennent cette structure. Alors que des navires de plus grande taille commençaient à peupler les Grands Lacs, un autre aqueduc fut construit et complété en 1887, juste à l'ouest du deuxième aqueduc, ce qui a créé une île dans le milieu du troisième canal. Le nouvel aqueduc en pierre taillée fut un peu plus long que son preédécesseur avec 6 arches de 40 pieds de large chacune. Entre 1948 et 1931, quand l'aqueduc fut construit, le troisième a été démoli.
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Location. 42° 59.477′ N, 79° 15.059′ W. Marker is in Welland, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is on King Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35 King St, Welland ON L3B 3H9, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and 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 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Beatty & Sons Shipyard (here, next to this marker); The County Buildings (here, next to this marker); Merritt Park (here, next to this marker); The Welland Club (here, next to this marker);
Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 21, 2025
2. The Aqueducts - Marker in context
This photo faces west from King St. The marker is on the other side, the side facing the canal. In the background is the west tower of old Bridge 13.
Regarding The Aqueducts. The inscription uses the word "aqueduct" to describe two types of structures with two different uses:
1. The aqueduct for the feeder canal (built 1829) was a flume, like a Roman aqueduct but made of wood, a "channel" (that might be elevated on a bridge or two) to carry a "river" of moving water high over the Welland river.
2. For the second (built 1845), third and fourth canals, each "aqueduct" comprises two things together at right angles: on top, a short stone "bridge" carrying (nearly) stationary water, to enable boats to travel over; and underneath, a "syphon culvert", a tunnel for the Welland river to squirt underneath the canal. (The Welland River also goes underneath the "Welland By-pass" via a syphon culvert; and farther north, along the canal, there are a few tiny such culverts for small creeks and streams to pass underneath.) This is required, because the two waterways are at different elevations.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 2, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 2, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
