Seaway video:
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System - A Vital Waterway
(Source: The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation)

Related content: CG Photo Club

Field Report — an interview with Martin Beaulieu
Travel with photographer Martin Beaulieu through the locks and channels of the historic St. Lawrence Seaway.

Get a “behind-the-scenes” look at the assignment through our one-on-one interview with Beaulieu as he shares his experience photographing the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Learn more about Beaulieu, view a gallery of his images and get some photography tips.

After graduating from high school in New Brunswick, I had the opportunity to discover the wonderful Great Lakes regions as a deckhand. Even though the waters could be rough and cold at times, the spectacular scenery from Sept Isle, Quebec to the Great Lakes was wonderful. Everything was going well when I became seriously ill in Lake Michigan. The American Coast Guard was called in and I was airlifted to Grand Haven Michigan and subsequently transferred to Hackley Hospital in nearby Muskegon. Just got there in time as I was diagnosed with a ruptured appendix which required 21 days hospitalisation. I can remember some of the staff visiting me with their family. Still too sick to travel, after being discharged, I was offered a place to stay by one of the local staff. Amazing hospitality for an 18 year old Canadian so far away from home who did not know anyone in that community. This happened 36 years ago, and we have remained in contact for all these years. Your article on the Seaway brought back memories on this wonderful region and its people.

Excellent article but I offer one correction.There is one Newfoundlander aboard the CSL Spruceglen and that is Captain Mark Dillon.

A most interesting article with excellent images. Last week we purchased a print copy of your magazine. Your table of comparison, on the enclosed map "Using very little fuel ships carry tonnes of cargo". What is the range of transit times, in days (24 hour period) for a vessel to navigate from Montreal to Lake Ontario. How manny vessels passed the St. Lawrence Seaway - in both directions - in the 2008 shipping season? Without being a pessimist I believe that the 21st century will belong to the South-East Asian countries. The cargo shift from the North Atlantic to the Pacific is permanent. What are the concepts for assuring an economic future of the St. Lawrence Seaway?
Give another 10-15 years, with the melting of the Northcap, Port Churchill, MAN will become an integral part of the Transportation Axis Central Canada to the Caribbean Gulf region.

I like to wish the seaway authorities my heartfelt congratulations on the 50th anniversary of the seaway locks and shipping transport.
I sailed the Great lakes Between Holland and Chicago from 1963 till the end of 1969 when my company the
Orange Lijn ceased to excist on the Great Lakes, the company with all the names on her ships named after members of the Dutch Royal Family past and present. From 1966 till the end I was the pernament helmsman on board the Prins Philip Willem and I enjoyed going in and out the locks, being part of the bridge crew beside the Pilot and Captain. I remember several times when we arrived in Montreal when the pilot wanted "Thomas" on the bridge when he went through the locks, it felt good and steering the ship through the locks became a specialty for me. I felt the ship moving under my feet before the compass moved and very seldom had the pilot to give me any instructions changing course or any other course changes. I was there on the bridge had my food brought up etc. I was the most wonderful sailing experience for me and I hope to see the Great lakes one more time. One short story from me. While going down the Detroit river on out way home from Chicago the Pilot gave me an order the change course of ten degrees. You can do it slow, not to slow ofcourse or the way I did that time by turning the wheel hard over to port side and then after the ship was well on her way, very fast I turned the wheel all the way over to starboard side. By doing so the ship rocked back and forth like it was on the ocean and the pilot kept an eye on the compass and when the ship finally stop rocking the boat was perfectly on the given course the pilot gave me a wink and I could see that he enjoyed that very much and said so. The chief steward didn't like it as several pots and pans came off the stove in the galley and several officers spilled their soup into their laps, the time of that course change was 1300 Hours dinner time for the officers, will never forget that incident.
Hope to see this in your next magazine.
I live now in Edmonton but still enjoy the salty water.
Thank for putting this article in your magazine.
Sincerely.
Thomas de Jong former 1st class sailor Dutch Merchant Marine " ORANJE LIJN " 1663 - 1969

Thank you for this great article. I loved the interactive clip on the Internet on how the locks work. How sad that our roads take us away from waterways, so Canadians have lost touch with how vital they are and how much a part of our history. As I looked at the photos, I realized I could only identify one place the bridge at Montréal. So although I have traveled widely in Canada, I have never seen any of the locks in the system. The article has given me the thought to travel along the St Lawrence Seaway to see for myself the locks operating and the towns near it. Why is there no tourist travel on the Seaway?

We enjoyed the well presented and informative article and supplementary information on the website. Learning the history of an important Canadian commerical success helps us to more fully appreciate what we see as we make pleasure craft excursions on parts of the system and the Great Lakes.