| One only needs to have a slight idea of how | | | | region of the St. Lawrence River. Today, over forty |
| Canada's geography takes shape in order to | | | | million tonnes of cargo is carried through this canal by |
| understand the perhaps fanatical emphasis Canadians | | | | ships each year! |
| and their governments have always placed on | | | | One can only imagine the new opportunities that |
| transportation. Canada and many other "New World" | | | | were opened up with the completion of the first |
| countries (including the United States) have | | | | Welland Canal in 1829. In fact, compared to the Canal |
| traditionally placed a great value on the importance of | | | | today, this operation might well be considered small |
| transportation, largely due to the fact that in order | | | | time. |
| for these huge countries to stay cohesive both | | | | The Second Welland Canal opened in 1854, and was |
| politically and economically, there has to be a great | | | | a much larger investment both of public and private |
| transportation infrastructure in place. For Old World | | | | money. After seeing how a canal could open up the |
| countries, size usually wasn't a factor, but when it | | | | trade possibilities of the interior, many interests |
| comes to the sprawling expanses of North America | | | | became involved. The giants of industry in those |
| and the unique geographical challenge within it; any | | | | days specialized in transportation (the railroad |
| construction of a major transportation system was | | | | developers and so on) and shipping was no |
| and is a big endeavour. | | | | exception, thus the opening of the canal was a very |
| In Canada, one of the great historical challenges was | | | | formalized event. It included a ceremonial recognition |
| to provide a way for goods to move from the Great | | | | of the first trip up the canal by hanging a top hat |
| Lakes to the open ocean, thus avoiding the high | | | | (indicative of wealth and power) on both the hull of |
| costs (and sometimes impossibility) of transport | | | | the ship and the first bridge on the canal. |
| overland. The answer was to build canals that ran | | | | Today, the Top Hat Ceremony has continued, both |
| from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. | | | | as a demonstration of prestige and for reasons of |
| One of the most celebrated of these canals is the | | | | good luck. Each year, the first up bound ship going |
| Welland Canal. Located in Ontario, the canal runs from | | | | through the canal is honoured with a ceremony and |
| Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It is part of a series of | | | | the presentation of the lucky Top Hat. |
| canals that allows shipping to avoid the Niagara Falls | | | | |