MV Richilieu about to enter the harbour at Hamilton, Ontario
On our way to Upstate New York a couple of days before Christmas, my husband and I stopped to watch this laker on Lake Ontario as it entered the canal between the cities of Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario. Since 1826, the Burlington Canal has connected Hamilton with the Atlantic Ocean via Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River.
Hamilton (arrow at far left) to the Atlantic Ocean (arrow at far right)
Hamilton is located on the western side of Lake Ontario, which empties into the Saint Lawrence River/ Seaway and then into the Atlantic Ocean.
Man standing beside the laker shows how big it is
MV Richelieu is a laker - or lake freighter - based in Montreal, Quebec. The ship was launched in 1980 so is 31 years old and showing some wear and tear.
Bulk carriers like MV Richelieu ship salt, ore, grain or rock in large contiguous holds, not in containers. Since this ship looked like it was headed for a steel mill, it likely contained iron ore.
Lift bridge
To reach the steel mill it had to pass under the Burlington Lift Bridge. Built half a century ago in 1962 (it's the fifth such bridge in this location), the orange-red box carrying the road has gone up and down more than 166,380 times. Think of the long lineups on either side of the bridge!
MV Richelieu passing under the lift bridge
Once out from under the lift bridge but still in the canal, MV Richelieu had to also pass under a second bridge that...
MV Richelieu under the Burlington Skyway
did not have to rise because it was already tall enough for ships to pass under.
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What a super post and pictures. I so enjoy seeing the other side of my country through your lens! My boys will have to look at this one....the way we are studying Canada Our Country and all!
ReplyDeleteAnd Happy New Year to you!!!
A little breathtaking to see such a bulky vessel snake its way down narrow waterways and under bridges. Yet it all works beautifully as a mode of transporting products. Thanks as always for sharing your world. Hope the year ahead is a good one to you and yours. :)
ReplyDeleteThese are great pictures. We have a lift bridge a few hours from us on Lake Superior and it is a favorite place to visit.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting. I'm glad you included the map so I could get an idea of how far it is.
ReplyDeleteDarla
you don't realize just how big those ships are until you get up close and personal!!!
ReplyDeleteGill
the last photo could have been taking on the Savannah river, in Savannah GA, we used to go watch the big ships come in the river and go under a bridge like this one.
ReplyDeleteI could watch ships come and go for hours. Great pics.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best memory of my childhood was taking the huge lakers on Lake Michigan. The lakes themselves are so terrific and awesome. Thanks for the photos you posted that jogged my memory.
ReplyDeleteThat was very interesting and provided a glimpse into another world and way of life I probably will never see. And the map was a bonus! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by those big merchant ships. I navigated on them when I was younger, as my hubby was working on them as chief engineer;
ReplyDeleteGreat post; really interesting stuff.
ReplyDeletethat is so cool! definitely nothing i get to see here in landlocked NE Tx!
ReplyDeleteB I G ship!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this information - I was watching this laker as it rested in the lake and as it made it way through the canal but forgot to check on which one it was. You got some good up close shots. I take it you were waiting at the lift bridge, so figured you might as well take the photo op it provided?!
ReplyDeleteI have many memories waiting at the old lift bridge before the skyway was built! it was always great fun to watch the ships. Nice memories you brought back!
ReplyDeleteWow I love this post the photos and the history make me very happy. I try to get to Hamilton as much as I can to see very special family and always admire this view of the trip. Thanks for reminding me. Happy New Year. B
ReplyDeleteTerrific captures, EG! I have been able to watch similar sights here in Seattle -- and wait on bridges to lower so I could continue on my way!! I think that boat, however, is bigger than any that I have been able to see! Hope your new year is off to a great start! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
The winter winds on that bridge are incredible. Great post. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I recall studying in college how important shipping on the Great Lakes was to industrial development in the US.
ReplyDeletewow...awesome pics! i am close to the Port of Los Angeles and enjoy going there to watch the ships come in and out! they are so huge and entertaining (even if they do move slowly)!!! love this post!
ReplyDeleteA nice educational post, EG.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post, E.G. Very interesting and your photos are terrific. I remember freighters coming into Duluth, Minnesota and going under a lift bridge. But I was a wee lad and that's about all I remember.
ReplyDeleteThat canal is a wonderful thing for people up your way, I'd say!
It does look interesting and reminds me a lot of the Panama canal. Great photos and thanks for sharing your world.
ReplyDeleteWow!! What a big ship!! My boyfriend like to watch ships like this one.. :) Happy New Year, by the way! :)
ReplyDeleteYou took some great shots of the Laker and a very interesting post. When you said it was launched in 1980 and was showing signs of age I thought, that's not old, I got married in 1980. Then I thought, well I'm certainly showing signs of age myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm always fascinated by this stuff!
ReplyDeleteNice shots. I've always been intrigued by lift bridges, as long as I'm not in the line of cars waiting for them to lower!
ReplyDeleteFrom that angle at least, the last bridge looks just barely tall enough not to have to go up! We learned a little about those big lakers a couple of summers ago on our roadtrip -- but would love to see more of your area.
ReplyDeleteA great series of photos, thanks for sharing!
Beautiful pics. My OWT is up too.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year from New Zealand.
Wow, I KNOW from personal experience how big those ships are, but you've reminded me again.. you've captured their size well!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post and that ship is impressive.
ReplyDeleteWow, I loved following the old laker through the canal via your photos. I love ships of all shapes and sizes, as well as bodies of water large and small. An enjoyable trip today!
ReplyDeleteK
I love scenes like these - they're not uncommon on the Great Lakes here. I've never heard them referred to as "lakers" though - love it. that one is a beauty. wishing you all the best in 2012 EG.
ReplyDeleteReminds of the big trucks that go under freeway bridges. I always wonder how they know it's tall enough. I love this post, very interesting and the first photo, I love!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us what lakers have to go through to traverse this canal. Very interesting.
ReplyDeletethat's a huge laker, looks like an aircraft carrier. we don't have lake freighters around here, especially as big as this one. marvelous shots!
ReplyDeleteWow, this ship has an incredible length! An impressive structure of steel and iron!
ReplyDelete