The Welland By-pass , completed in 1973, was a massive construction project on the Welland Canal in Ontario , Canada .
65-455: A new channel 13.4 km (8.3 mi) long was constructed, providing a shorter, more direct alignment between Port Robinson and Port Colborne and by-passing downtown Welland . The project helped improve navigation along the canal and alleviated problems the presence of a busy ship canal was causing in Welland. Although the city of Welland had originally grown around the canal, by the 1960s
130-462: A binational comprehensive deep waterway along the St. Lawrence were made in the 1890s. In the following decades, developers proposed a hydropower project as inseparable from the seaway; the various governments and seaway supporters believed the deeper water to be created by the hydro project was necessary to make the seaway channels feasible for oceangoing ships. U.S. proposals for development up to and including
195-482: A day between the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 from June 15 to September 15. A list of organisations that serve the seaway in some fashion, such as chambers of commerce and municipal or port authorities, is available at the SLSDC website. A 56-page electronic "Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System" Directory is published by Harbor House Publishers. Map of the world Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway from 1959, depicting
260-550: A hydropower dam would change the water levels, it required bilateral cooperation.) The International Joint Commission issued an order of approval for joint construction of the dam in October 1952. U.S. Senate debate on the bill began on January 12, 1953, and the bill emerged from the House of Representatives Committee of Public Works on February 22, 1954. It received approval from the Senate and
325-620: A nautical link would lead to the development of the communities and economies of the Great Lakes region by permitting the passage of oceangoing ships. In this period, exports of grain, along with other commodities, to Europe were an important part of the national economy. Negotiations on the treaty resumed in 1938, and by January 1940 substantial agreement was reached between Canada and the United States. By 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Mackenzie King made an executive agreement to build
390-477: A passenger ferry service was launched in early 1977. The ferry can transport people and bicycles , but is not big enough for cars, thus forcing residents who want to use a car to take the long route. In 2015, amid debate about discontinuing the ferry, it was estimated that the ferry carries 2000 pedestrians and 6000 touring cyclists per year. A similar accident occurred at Bridge 11 in Allanburg in 2001. That bridge
455-461: A ship 740 feet (230 m) long by 78 feet (24 m) feet wide (the Seawaymax limit). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a study to expand the St. Lawrence Seaway, but the plan was scrapped in 2011 because of tight budgets. There are seven locks in the St. Lawrence River portion of the seaway. From downstream to upstream they are: Water Level Elevations: There are eight locks on
520-416: A watchman on the ship suffered minor injuries. The ensuing investigation concluded that the ship failed to blow the whistle to signal its approach and the bridge could not be raised in time. After the accident, rebuilding the bridge or building a tunnel to replace it was considered. In the end, it was concluded that the volume of local vehicular traffic was not sufficient to warrant such an expense. Instead,
585-625: Is 1,200 ft (365.8 m) long, 110 ft (33.5 m) wide and 32 ft (9.8 m) deep. A vessel's draft is another obstacle to passage on the seaway, particularly in connecting waterways such as the St. Lawrence River. The depth in the seaway's channels is 41 ft (12.5 m) ( Panamax -depth) downstream of Quebec City , 35 ft (10.7 m) between Quebec City and Deschaillons , 37 ft (11.3 m) to Montreal, and 27 ft (8.2 m) upstream of Montreal. Channel depths and limited lock sizes meant only 10% of current oceangoing ships, which have been built much larger than in
650-599: Is a system of locks , canals , and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America, as far inland as Duluth, Minnesota , at the western end of Lake Superior . The seaway is named for the St. Lawrence River , which flows from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. Legally, the seaway extends from Montreal , Quebec , to Lake Erie , and includes
715-480: Is available at. The NOAA -funded Great Lakes Water Level Dashboard compiles statistics on water depth at various points along the seaway. To create a navigable channel through the Long Sault rapids and to allow hydroelectric stations to be established immediately upriver from Cornwall, Ontario , and Massena, New York , Lake St. Lawrence was created behind a dam. This required the condemnation and acquisition by
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#1732845637516780-402: Is no bridge in the immediate vicinity to connect the two halves of the community. In the summer, a small free ferry for pedestrians and cyclists runs across the canal. In the winter, residents must use the bridge on Highway 20 , which results in a 13.3 km (8.3 mi) trip to get to the other side. Like all the ports on the first Welland Canal, Port Robinson was named after a member of
845-513: Is the main route for Ontario grain exports to overseas markets. Its fees are publicly known, and were limited in 2013 to an increase of 3%. A trained pilot is required for any foreign trade vessel. A set of rules and regulations are available to help transit. Commercial vessel transit information is hosted on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation website. Since 1997, international cruise liners have been known to transit
910-460: Is under consideration as well. If the expansion project goes ahead, feeder ships would take containers from the port of Oswego on Lake Ontario in upstate New York to Melford International Terminal in Nova Scotia for transfer to larger oceangoing ships. A website hosts measurements of wind, water, levels and water temperatures. A real-time interactive map of seaway locks, vessels, and ports
975-525: The Townline Tunnel , were constructed to allow vehicles and trains to pass beneath the canal. To complement this, an aqueduct , to convey the Welland River under the new canal alignment, was built. The aqueduct's design is what is known as a four-tube inverted-syphon culvert, 200 m (660 ft) long, 28 m (92 ft) wide, and extending 9 m (30 ft) below the navigation channel. It
1040-592: The Erie Canal obsolete and causing the severe economic decline of several cities along the canal in Upstate New York . But by the turn of the 20th century, the Erie Canal had already been largely supplanted by the railroads, which had been constructed across New York and could carry freight more quickly and cheaply. Upstate New York's economic decline was precipitated by numerous factors, only some of which had to do with
1105-551: The Family Compact that once ruled Upper Canada , as Ontario was then named. Sir John Beverley Robinson was Attorney General of Upper Canada at the time the first Canal was built, and the port was originally named Port Beverley. The post office dates from 1835 onward. Bridge St in Port Robinson was originally linked by a vertical lift bridge , numbered as Bridge 12 by the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority. On August 25, 1974,
1170-602: The First World War met with little interest from the Canadian federal government. But the two national governments submitted St. Lawrence plans to a group for study. By the early 1920s, both The Wooten-Bowden Report and the International Joint Commission recommended the project. Although Canada’s Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King was reluctant to proceed, in part because of opposition to
1235-643: The U.S. Secretary of State on Canadian-U.S. issues regarding the seaway, persevering through 15 years to gain passage by Congress of the Seaway Act . He later became president of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Association to promote seaway development to benefit the American heartland. The seaway was heavily promoted by the Eisenhower administration, which had been concerned with a lack of US control. The seaway opened in 1959 and cost C$ 470 million, $ 336.2 million of which
1300-595: The Welland Canal . From the north to the south, there is lock 1 at Port Weller, followed by Lock 2 and then Lock 3, a site with a visitors' information centre and museum in St. Catharines, Ontario . There are four locks in Thorold, Ontario , including twin-flight locks 4, 5 and 6, with Lock 7 leading up to the main channel. The Lake Erie level control lock sits in Port Colborne, Ontario . The size of vessels that can traverse
1365-536: The Welland Canal . Ships from the Atlantic Ocean are able to reach ports in all five of the Great Lakes, via the Great Lakes Waterway . The St. Lawrence River portion of the seaway is not a continuous canal; rather, it consists of several stretches of navigable channels within the river, a number of locks , and canals along the banks of the St. Lawrence River to bypass several rapids and dams . A number of
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#17328456375161430-432: The 1950s, can traverse the entire seaway. Proposals to expand the seaway, dating from as early as the 1960s, have been rejected since the late 20th century as too costly. In addition, researchers, policy makers, and the public are much more aware of the environmental issues that have accompanied seaway development and are reluctant to open the Great Lakes to more invasions of damaging species, as well as associated issues along
1495-407: The 600-foot (180 m) ore carrier Steelton , travelling northbound on the canal, struck and destroyed the bridge. The east tower of the bridge toppled over, while the west tower collapsed in on itself. The bridge span was pushed into the water, severely deformed. The damage to the bridge was estimated as between $ 15 and $ 20 million. It was scrapped in its entirety. The removal of the towers from
1560-482: The Great Lakes to oceangoing ships. On April 25, 1959, large, deep-draft ocean vessels began streaming to the heart of the North American continent through the seaway, a project supported by every administration from Woodrow Wilson through Eisenhower. In the United States, N. R. Danelian (who was the director of the 13-volume St. Lawrence Seaway Survey in the U.S. Department of Navigation (1932–63)), worked with
1625-488: The House by May 1954. The first positive action to enlarge the seaway was taken on May 13, 1954, when U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Wiley-Dondero Seaway Act to authorize joint construction and establish the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation as the U.S. authority. The need for cheap haulage of Quebec- Labrador iron ore was one of the arguments that finally swung the balance in favor of
1690-610: The Old Power House near Lock 23 (near Morrisburg, Ontario) became an attractive site for scuba divers. The submerged stone building has become covered with barnacles and is home to an abundance of underwater life. The seaway passes through the St. Lawrence River, which provides a number of diveable shipwrecks within recreational scuba limits (shallower than 130 ft (40 m)). The region also offers technical diving, with some wrecks lying at 240 ft (73 m). The water temperature can be as warm as 75 °F (24 °C) during
1755-687: The Ontario government of Mitchell Hepburn and the government of Quebec. In 1936, John C. Beukema, head of the Great Lakes Harbors Association and a member of the Great Lakes Tidewater Commission, was among a delegation of eight from the Great Lakes states to meet at the White House with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to obtain his support for the seaway concept. Beukema and St. Lawrence Seaway proponents were convinced
1820-525: The Seaway opened in 1959 that "The St. Lawrence Seaway will be the greatest single development of this century in its effects on Milwaukee's future growth and prosperity." Lester Olsen, president of the Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said, "The magnitude and potential of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the power project stir the imagination of the world." The seaway's opening is often credited with making
1885-560: The St. Lawrence Seaway. Under the Canada Marine Act (1998), the Canadian portions of the seaway were set up with a non-profit corporate structure; this legislation also introduced changes to federal ports. Great Lakes and seaway shipping generates $ 3.4 billion in business revenue annually in the United States. In 2002, ships moved 222 million tonnes of cargo through the seaway. Overseas shipments, mostly of inbound steel and outbound grain, accounted for 15.4 million tonnes, or 6.9%, of
1950-490: The by-pass was the M.V. Senneville on March 28, 1973. It carried a cargo of 1,063,868 bushels of barley in transit from Duluth, Minnesota to Port Cartier, Quebec . The official opening ceremony for the Welland By-pass took place on July 14, 1973. Overall, the project cost approximately CAD$ 188 million. The new channel reduced the length of the canal by 1.3 km (0.81 mi) and replaced six bridge crossings with
2015-462: The canal, accidentally struck and ruptured a buried natural gas line, which erupted into a torch-like flame approx 90–100 meters high; there were no injuries.) In a symbolic event watched by many residents, on a snowy night, Bridge #13 on Welland's East Main Street came up for the last time, lighted by floodlights, on December 15, 1972, the new bypass would be open to shipping for the next season. (The bridge
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2080-479: The canal, especially the counterweights (some 300 tons each), necessitated the use of a special heavy-duty floating crane. The canal was closed until September 9 for the repairs. The Steelton suffered damage to its bow and pilot house , estimated at $ 1 million. The repairs were made at Port Colborne , at the southern terminus of the Welland Canal. There was no loss of life. The bridge master, Albert Beaver, and
2145-430: The canals and river. Questions have been raised as to whether such infrastructure costs could ever be recovered. Lower water levels in the Great Lakes have also posed problems for some vessels in recent years, and pose greater issues to communities, industries, and agriculture in the region. While the seaway is (as of 2010) mostly used for shipping bulk cargo , the possibility of its use for large-scale container shipping
2210-494: The constant interruptions in the flow of the vehicular and rail traffic through the city became bothersome. A single ship would hold up traffic for at least ten minutes as it travelled under a vertical lift bridge . In periods of heavy ship traffic, a bridge might stay raised for multiple ships to pass, and long lines of cars, trucks and buses could be delayed more than 30 minutes. Additionally, many railroad yards and lines originally built on Welland's outskirts now found themselves in
2275-456: The government of all the properties of six villages and three hamlets in Ontario; these are now collectively known as The Lost Villages . The area was flooded beginning on July 1, 1958, creating the lake. There was also inundation on the New York side of the border, and the village of Louisville Landing was submerged. A notable adverse environmental effect of the operation of the seaway has been
2340-615: The introduction of numerous invasive species of aquatic animals into the Great Lakes Basin . The zebra mussel has been most damaging in the Great Lakes and through its invasion of related rivers, waterways, and city water facilities. Invasive species and artificial water level controls imposed by the seaway have had a negative impact on recreational fishing. The seaway, along with the St. Lawrence River it passes through, also provides opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as boating , camping , fishing , and scuba diving . Of note,
2405-501: The joint hydro and navigation works, but this failed to receive the assent of the U.S. Congress . Proposals for the seaway were met with resistance; the primary opposition came from interests representing harbors on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and internal waterways and from the railroad associations. The railroads carried freight and goods between the coastal ports and the Great Lakes cities. After 1945, proposals to introduce tolls to
2470-482: The journey stressful. Captains complained of bulky buildings on the canal's edge blocking the line of sight. One of them commented, "The main thing every Lakes captain used to dread was Bridge 15 [built during the 3rd canal era, but in use until 1972], a railway bridge in the town of Welland with an abutment in the middle... I think every captain on the Lakes must have [scraped it] at one time or another." The by-pass project
2535-542: The locks are managed by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation in Canada, and others in the United States by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation ; the two bodies together advertise the seaway as part of "Highway H 2 O" . The section of the river from Montreal to the Atlantic is under Canadian jurisdiction, regulated by the offices of Transport Canada in the Port of Quebec . The St. Lawrence Seaway
2600-408: The loss of canal banks through the city of Welland, parts of which were being used as a docking area by local industries, the project incorporated a dock, separated from the main travel route. Many of the area's rail lines, which had previously been constructed to fit around the existing alignment, had to be dramatically altered for the new alignment. An estimated 161 km (100 mi) of new track
2665-620: The mid- to late-summer months. The first 10 ft (3 m) of Lake Ontario is warmed and enters the St. Lawrence River, as the fast-moving water body has no thermocline circulation. On July 12, 2010, Richelieu (owned by Canada Steamship Lines ) ran aground after losing power near the Côte-Sainte-Catherine lock. The grounding punctured a fuel tank, spilling an estimated 200 tonnes (440 thousand pounds) of diesel fuel , covering approximately 500 square metres (5,400 sq ft). The seaway and lock were shut down to help contain
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2730-408: The middle of a growing city; the heavily used rail lines from Toronto to Buffalo were suffering delays, as well. The old route, established in 1932 with the building of the fourth Welland Canal , was also inconvenient to the ships since it was twisting and narrow. The five vertical lift bridges and a railroad swing bridge , all within close distance of one another, made the manoeuvring tricky and
2795-484: The old canal. Since the opening of the by-pass, Welland's east side has become a virtual island; separated from the rest of the Niagara Peninsula by the old canal channel to the west and by the by-pass channel to the east. Port Robinson, Ontario Port Robinson is a small community in the southernmost part of Thorold , Ontario , Canada . The community is divided in half by the Welland Canal , as there
2860-528: The opening of the seaway were built to the maximum size permissible by the locks, known informally as Seawaymax or Seaway-Max. Large vessels of the lake freighter fleet are built on the lakes and cannot travel downstream beyond the Welland Canal. On the remaining Great Lakes, these ships are constrained only by the largest lock on the Great Lakes Waterway , the Poe Lock at the Soo Locks (at Sault Ste. Marie), which
2925-419: The port typically moved in the decade before the seaway opened Lake Superior to deep-draft oceangoing vessels in 1959. International changes have affected shipping through the seaway. Europe is no longer a major grain importer; large U.S. export shipments are now going to South America, Asia, and Africa. These destinations make Gulf and West Coast ports more critical to 21st-century grain exports. Referring to
2990-541: The project in Quebec , in 1932 he and the U.S. representative signed a treaty of intent. This treaty was submitted to the U.S. Senate in November 1932 and hearings continued until a vote was taken on March 14, 1934. The majority voted in favor of the treaty, but it failed to gain the necessary two-thirds vote for ratification. Later attempts between the governments in the 1930s to forge an agreement came to naught due to opposition by
3055-411: The seaway is limited by the size of locks . Locks on the St. Lawrence and on the Welland Canal are 766 ft (233.5 m) long, 80 ft (24.4 m) wide, and 30 ft (9.14 m) deep. The maximum allowed vessel size is slightly smaller: 740 ft (225.6 m) long, 78 ft (23.8 m) wide, and 26.5 ft (8.1 m) deep. Many vessels designed for use on the Great Lakes following
3120-458: The seaway project, a retired Iowa State University economics professor who specialized in transportation issues said, "It probably did make sense, at about the time it (the Seaway) was constructed and conceived, but since then everything has changed." Certain seaway users have been concerned about the low water levels of the Great Lakes that had been recorded between 2010 and 2016. The Panama Canal
3185-464: The seaway were not sufficient to gain support for the project by the U.S. Congress. Growing impatient, and with Ontario desperate for the power to be generated by hydroelectricity, Canada began to consider developing the project alone. This seized the imagination of Canadians, engendering a groundswell of nationalism around the St. Lawrence. On September 28, 1951, Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent advised U.S. President Harry S. Truman that Canada
3250-603: The seaway. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Massena, New York , on August 10, 1954. That year Eisenhower appointed Beukema to the five-member St. Lawrence Seaway Advisory Board . In May 1957, the Connecting Channels Project was begun by the United States Army Corps of Engineers . By 1959, Beukema was on board the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Maple for the first trip through the U.S. locks, which opened up
3315-445: The seaway. The Hapag-Lloyd Christopher Columbus carried 400 passengers to Duluth, Minnesota , that year. Since then, the number of annual seaway cruising passengers has increased to 14,000. Every year, more than 2,000 recreational boats, of more than 20 ft and one ton, transit the seaway. The tolls have been fixed for 2017 at $ 30 per lock. There is a $ 5 per lock discount for payment in advance. Lockages are scheduled 12 hours
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#17328456375163380-597: The spill. The seaway is important for American and Canadian international trade. It handles 40–50 million annual tonnes of cargo. About 50% of this cargo carried travels to and from international ports in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The rest comprises coastal trade, or short sea shipping , between various American and Canadian ports. Among international shippers are found: The St. Lawrence Seaway (along with ports in Quebec)
3445-405: The total cargo moved. In 2004, seaway grain exports accounted for about 3.6% of U.S. overseas grain shipments, according to the U.S. Grains Council. In a typical year, seaway steel imports account for around 6% of the U.S. annual total. The toll revenue obtained from ocean vessels is about 25–30% of cargo revenue. The Port of Duluth shipped just over 2.5 million tonnes of grain, which is less than
3510-410: The two new tunnels. It reduced the transit time through the Welland Canal by about 30 minutes (5%) as compared to the old alignment. The Welland By-pass markedly simplified ship passage along the Welland Canal. The city was no longer dependent on often erratic ship schedules. (For instance, a scheduled city-wide bus service was only instituted after the relocation.) A decision had to be made as to
3575-472: The use of the old alignment. Originally, one of the proposed ideas was for it to be filled in and an extension to Highway 406 be run in it. That never came to be, and instead the old canal was turned over to the city and renamed the Welland Recreational Waterway . Recently, the city has seen the construction of a new Civic Centre, including the city hall and the public library downtown by
3640-461: Was a massive undertaking: 16.2 km² (4,000 acres ) of land was expropriated for the construction. Approximately 50 million cubic metres of material was excavated. The new channel is 100 m (330 ft) wide, as compared to the 58 m (190 ft) width of the old channel. The channel's minimum depth is 9 m (30 ft). Two tunnels, the Main Street Tunnel and
3705-613: Was actually quietly opened the next day to allow the passage of a St. Lawrence Seaway service vessel.) The Main Street Tunnel was officially opened on May 20, 1972, with the Townline Tunnel following on July 13. Rail traffic through the Townline Tunnel was inaugurated on January 31, 1973. The new canal was first traversed by the Canadian Coast Guard cutter Griffon on March 27, 1973. The first commercial ship to pass through
3770-505: Was completed in 1914 and also serves oceangoing traffic. In the 1950s, seaway designers chose not to build the locks to match the size of ships permitted by the 1914 locks at the Panama Canal (965 by 106 feet (294 by 32 m), known as the Panamax limit). Instead, the seaway locks were built to match the smaller locks of Welland Canal , which opened in 1932. The seaway locks permit passage of
3835-489: Was constructed from 30,000 cubic metres of concrete. Approximately 1.6 km (0.99 mi) of new river channel was constructed to route the river into the aqueduct. The creation of the syphon culvert lowered ground water levels for miles around, the project making many dug wells run dry. The St. Lawrence Seaway Authority denied responsibility, but paid many residents to have a drilled well installed to supply their water. (based on local witnesses) In compensation for
3900-557: Was increased to 150 ft (46 m) long, 26.5 ft (8.1 m) wide, and 9 ft (2.7 m) deep for the Second Welland Canal; to 270 ft (82 m) long, 45 ft (14 m) wide, and 14 ft (4.3 m) deep with the Third Welland Canal; and to 766 ft (233 m) long, 80 ft (24 m) wide, and 30 ft (9.1 m) deep for the current (Fourth) Welland Canal. The first proposals for
3965-408: Was laid at a cost of CAD$ 50 million. A Google map is available which shows the changes to the rail network as a result of the canal relocation, as well as changes made since. This map also details the old and new routes of the canal. The construction started with the sinking of the first shovel on June 9, 1967, and continued for six years. (During construction, a giant "Earth mover" working on
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#17328456375164030-555: Was lowered onto the passing bulk carrier Windoc , which afterwards caught fire. The ship was a total loss, but no injuries were reported, and Bridge 11 suffered minor damage and was repaired. While repairs were underway, Port Robinson residents wishing to travel by car to other side of the community had to drive even farther than usual to use the Main Street Tunnel in Welland. St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway ( French : la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent )
4095-547: Was paid by the Canadian government. Elizabeth II , Queen of Canada and American President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally opened the seaway on June 26, 1959 with a short cruise aboard the royal yacht HMY Britannia after addressing crowds in Saint-Lambert, Quebec . 22,000 workers were employed at one time or another on the project, a 3,700-kilometre-long (2,300 mi) superhighway for ocean freighters. Port of Milwaukee director Harry C. Brockel forecast just before
4160-503: Was preceded by several other canals. In 1871, locks on the St. Lawrence allowed transit of vessels 186 ft (57 m) long, 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m) wide, and 9 ft (2.7 m) deep. The First Welland Canal , constructed between 1824 and 1829, had a minimum lock size of 110 ft (34 m) long, 22 ft (6.7 m) wide, and 8 ft (2.4 m) deep, but it was generally too small to allow passage of larger oceangoing ships. The Welland Canal 's minimum lock size
4225-549: Was unwilling to wait for the United States and would build a seaway alone; the Canadian Parliament authorized the founding of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority on December 21 of that year. Fueled by this support, Saint Laurent's administration decided during 1951 and 1952 to construct the waterway alone, combined with the Moses-Saunders Power Dam . (This became the joint responsibility of Ontario and New York: as
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