A History of Marine Transportation in Niagara, pre-1969

Item

Title: A History of Marine Transportation in Niagara, pre-1969
Description: Marine transportation has transformed the Niagara region and remains a vital component of economic development. It laid the foundations for commerce, settlement, and expansion of the region, and it continues to be a conduit for change, renewal, and advancement. Canalization and other marine infrastructure have improved navigation while facilitating transportation networks that remain crucial to regional, national, and international supply chains. In addition to significant achievements in shipping and canal infrastructure, Niagara has also been a strategic centre for boatbuilding, shipbuilding, and repair. Contributing to and supporting commercial and recreational watercraft through its evolving shipyards, dry docks, and associated facilities.

Toward understanding the foundations that paved the way to modern developments, this paper will explore the historic character of marine transportation in Niagara. Through demonstrating how these early developments led to current trends, it examines factors that shaped the region’s waterborne developments and which continue to inspire manufacturing and shipping operations. Marine transportation spurred growth in boat and shipbuilding, creating demand for labour and skilled employment across the region. Through initial developments on the Niagara River, and later along the Welland Canal, productivity and competitiveness in the marine sector have remained at the core of Niagara’s economic development for over 200 years.
Creator: Kimberly Monk
Date: January 2024
Format: PDF
Language: English
Rights: Rights held by the creators.
Subject: Marine
Transportation
Welland Canal
Shipbuilding
Source: Niagara Community Observatory
list of authors: Kimberly Monk
Publisher: Brock University
Date Issued: January 2024

Item sets: Wilson Foundation Project - Niagara's Economic History

Site pages: Marine

Media: A History of Marine Transportation in Niagara, pre-1969

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