The Golden Dream: A History of the St. Lawrence Seaway

In the early twentieth century a movement thrived in the Midwestern states that border on the Great Lakes to promote the St. Lawrence route as the answer to effortlessly transporting goods in and out of the center of the continent. Internal rivalries in Canada and the United States delayed the project for fifty years until Canada suddenly decided to construct a seaway alone, insisting that the American Congress cooperate. The fabrication of the Seaway and its completion in 1959, involved engineering on an unparalleled scale and considerable human displacement. During construction, communities along the Great Lakes planned for increased abundance and prosperity, but aging infrastructure, alterations in transportation, and environmental problems have meant that "the Golden Dream" has not been entirely implemented, even today. This pleasing history recounts the rise of one of the most admirable engineering projects in Canadian history and its uncertain impact on the people living along the St. Lawrence River.