From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 24 of 36
Big ships pass through the lock
1959
The St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959. Its locks help large ships pass between different water levels on the way from Montréal to the Great Lakes. A lock is a little like an elevator for boats!
Look together
Where are the lock gates?
An idea to try
In the bath, make a “boat rise”: set a bowl in an empty dish and pour water around it. Your child explains why the boat goes up.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The Seaway opened to navigation on April 25, 1959. Its official inauguration took place on June 26 with Elizabeth II and Dwight Eisenhower. Canals and locks overcome differences in water level; a ship can rise or descend depending on its direction of travel.
A still drawing cannot tell us which way the water is moving. Find the chamber, gates and ship instead; these are the parts of the mechanism to explain.
Sources and context (2)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- Radio-Canada — L’ouverture royale de la Voie maritime du Saint-Laurent
- Corporation de gestion de la Voie maritime du Saint-Laurent — La Voie maritime
Source review: 2026-09-19. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.