“Where Rails and Water Meet”: Industry and the Canal Community at Welland

The establishment of a community at Welland began in 1788, when United Empire Loyalists settled along the banks of the Welland River, focused on agricultural production and export. Incorporated as a village in 1858, and renamed Welland, early industrial and marine establishments include Matthew Beatty & Sons, which began in 1862 and expanded its workforce of 12 in 1871, to 200 by 1907. These businesses contributed to the village’s growth and reputation. The rise of railway developments in the 1850s, led to several lines constructed across Welland between 1853 and 1883, positioning the canal community with crucial transportation links, to expand its commercial networks. Welland’s expansion slowed after regional amalgamation in 1970, while deindustrialization precipitated by the introduction of free trade in the late-1980s.

Despite these setbacks, Niagara’s canal communities have, during periods of recession and decline, found new directions to spur development and transition brownfield sites for new enterprises. These cooperative efforts ensure Welland continues to be well-positioned “where rails and water meet.”

Kimberly Monk

Brock University