These are notes that I am writing to help me learn our industrial history. They are my best understanding, but that does not mean they are a correct understanding.
Friday, May 4, 2018
Iroquois Lock and Dam on the St. Lawrence Seaway
Current: (Satellite) Note that there are two sets of lock gates at each end. I have not found an explanation as to why this is the case.
The pre-seaway Iroquois Lock. [Galop Canal Lock #25.]
It’s still there without the lock gates and is now used as a marina.
The picture was taken from the upstream end and you can see there was a bigger level drop than there is in the new lock.
Before the creation of the Seaway the St Lawrence River dropped 80 Ft from Iroquois to Cornwall/Massena.
The picture was published in the March 17, 1976, Iroquois Post Newspaper
Craig Stevenson: This is the "new old" lock, built in the late 1890s with a 14' [4.3m] depth and a length that allowed it to be used as a "fleet lock" to accommodate three upbound canallers at a time.
The photo was taken from the perspective of the swing bridge that crossed the canal. The concrete base of the bridge is still in place.
The depth of the old lock is greater than today's guard lock and dam because it was at the end of the Galop Canal that begin at Lock 27/28. I could not find Lock #26. I'm surprised that the canal is clear of algae since it has been filled in at several places.
I became aware of the Seaway dam and lock from this photo:
Carl Burkett from Self Unloader ALGOSTEEL - Her Last Transit (source)
With Iroquois Lock behind her, ALGOSTEEL quickly picks up speed and motors by the lower approach wall and the control dam in the background.
The Vacuum Pads at Iroquois Lock are in various states of construction.
The East one has the reinforcing steel in place.
The middle one has the cement forms in place in over the rebar.
The West one is covered in tarps so they can blow in hot air but I couldn't tell if the concrete has been poured yet
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Not only did they build a river control dam and lock, they moved the entire town of Iroquois, ON, away from the river so that it would no longer be in a flood plain. They built a "house mover" and a road up a hill for it to use. [StLawrencePiks, search for "SHIL001:".] Then search for "SHIL045:" to see what the area looked like after the town, railroad, and highway had been moved uphill but before the old shore was flooded.
Janey Anderson posted five photos with the comment:
ARRESTOR ARM CHANGED IN IROQUOIS LOCK AND TRAFFIC RESUMED
As posted yesterday, VERILA hit the arrestor gate in Iroquois Lock early morning travelling downbound. Traffic in both directions was stopped for the day as they worked to replace it and get ships moving again.
By early evening, navigation had resumed.
Here are some shots from the location showing the broken arm and replacement in the lock, and the first upbound ship - EK STREAM on the move.
Thanks so much for these shots Kristina McLean !
July 28, 2026
Dave Hindle: Isn't the arresting arm only down to drop the arresting cable? Then it goes back up so it doesn't get hit but the cable which is easier to replace remains to arrest the ship. Or is that only like that on the welland canal?
Philip Hanbidge: The metal arm is merely the vehicle for raising and lowering the steel cable that is the actual ship-arrester device.
It is designed to stop the movement of a vessel towards the lock doors.
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