Burlington Canal History

[David O'Reilly]

"We are told that in those pioneering times, the principal topics of discussion were Politics and Religion. Running a close third in the post-war years was Public Works, which entailed the planning and building of canals."



"The year 1823 was one of major interest to the people of Hamilton and district, for on 19 March, an Act was passed authorizing construction of the Burlington Canal. The canal commissioners were John Aikman,Wm. Chisholm and Wm. Applegarth John Chisholm was appointed Collector of Customs."

'As the gangs of men began digging through the sand of Burlington Beach in 1825, those interested in shipping were preparing for the canal's completion by building wharves.'
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=S2



1827 - ""Proposal for completing the works at the Burlington Bay Canal will be received by the Subscriber until Friday, the 24th August (proximo) agreeable to the annexed schedule - and in conformity with the several Acts of the Legislature of this Province made in reference thereto. Plans and Specifications may be seen by intending contractors on application to me.
By order of the Commissioners,
W. J. Kerr, Secretary.

Burlington Beach, July 27, 1827.
Work to be done to complete the Burlington Bay Canal,

11 Cribs of timber, to complete return pier head in L. Ontario, south side including all materials such as piles, planking, workmanship, stone and everything else necessary.

7 Cribs, ditto, south side, Burlington Bay. Additional crib work to improve south pier in L. Ontario.

37 Oak Piles, for return pier head, 30 feet long and 15 inches diameter, 2,610 cu. ft.

88 Oak Piles, for south pier in L. Ontario, 8,640 cu. ft.

75 Oak Piles, ditto.

18 Oak Piles, to put beneath the south abutment of the bridge.

10 Oak Piles, to repair breaches in south pier.

10 Oak Piles, for south pier head in Burlington B.

12 Oak Piles, for south pier head in L. Ontario.

114 Oak Piles, for abutment of bridge north side; to repair breaches in north pier, in the Lake and the Bay, and to repair head of breakwater.

Pointing, driving and shoeing with iron such of said piles as may be necessary.

97 Bollards, or mooring posts, of oak; pointing and driving same.

35,000 feet of 3 inch pine plank for covering the piles.

7,000 cu. ft. pine timber, squared, for building the old work up to the required height.

700 feet of hand rail on outer side of south pier, L. Ontario.

40 cords of heavy stone for backing up the return pier head.

20 cords, ditto, for pier head.

Excavating channel to 12 feet depth, throughout - 3,000 cu. yds.

One swivel bridge, complete.

One Lighthouse on return pier head, with Argand oil lamp, complete.

One Capstan, on pierhead."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1827



1828 - "On 30 June 1828, an item appeared in the Niagara Gleaner regarding arbitration in connection with the Burlington Canal. The arbitrators were stated to be Daniel O'Reilly, for the Commissioners, Edward McBride for the contractor, and Allan Napier MacNab. They had evidently awarded £12,938 to the contractor, Strowbridge, but the Commissioners not only refused to pay this money, but demanded that the Attorney General show cause as to why they should. One wonders if MacNab, who was not known for his saintliness, and his two Irish friends had a little boodle in mind, including, of course Mr. Strowbridge."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1828

1829 - "The still-unfinished Burlington Canal had sufficient depth of water and the passage of schooners inbound with general cargo and outward bound with wheat and flour was frequent."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1829



1830 - "In April, 1830, a short-lived newspaper called the Gore Balance ublished a few items of interest. On the 8 April, it informed its readers that the dredge was still working in the Burlington Canal and that it was
expected that the work would be completed "in a few days"
Four days later, this paper published a quite impressive list of sailing vessels, passing through the canal: GENERAL BROCK, Capt. Kerr, REBECCA and ELIZA, Capt. Zealand, BRITANNIA, Capt. Roberts, MARGARET, Capt. Mitchell, TRAFALGAR, Capt. Enoe, TELEGRAPH, Capt. Boylan, MINERVA, Capt. Kent,BROTHERS, Capt. Chas. McIntosh, MOHAWK CHIEF, Capt. Campbell,PEACOCK,Capt. Philo D. Bates, and KINGSTON PACKET,Capt. Knox."



""Canal Fever" was indeed rampant in the land and unfortunately, was not always guided by wisdom. The contractor on the Burlington Canal was building timber cribs and filling them with beach gravel, in the hope that they would hold the sides of the channel. The Lake had no trouble at all undermining
them and playfully shifting them out of line."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1830

1834 - "In this season of 1834, the Burlington Canal was said to be completed, at least until the next major rehabilitation had to be carried out."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1834

1842 - "In Hamilton, on the 6 October, W. M. Shaw, Canal Engineer, was calling for tenders for the reconstruction of the Burlington Canal."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1842


1843 - "The St. Catharines Journal, on the 10 August 1843, noted that the activities at the Burlington Canal had started. It stated:

"The railroad from the Mountain to the Beach is now completed and the hauling of the stone has commenced. A great quantity of timber has been delivered and every arrangement made to proceed in the work with vigour. The new canal is to be made on the site of the old one. The South Pier will form the breastwork for the protection of the new work which is to be laid down. The North Wall is to be removed and the Canal widened to about 160 feet."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1843

Fred told me that the cars for this railroad were hauld by horses from the beach to the escarpment. And At the escarpment, both the stone and the horses were loaded into the cars and the cars then rolled back down to the beach under the force of gravity.


1848 - "Citizens of the district, feeling the need of a swing bridge over the Burlington Canal, had submitted a petition to the Dept. of Public Works in Montreal. The request was refused on the grounds that "abutments" would have to be built and these would impede navigation and the flow of the current through the canals causing the deposit of sediments. There must have been a political reason for this, and the Hamilton Spectator pointed its inky finger at "that eminent engineer, Mr. Killaly."

It would have been obvious to many of its readers, that the negative decision was not the result of any engineering study and the letter containing the refusal could have been written equally well by the village
idiot."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1848

 

[David O'Reilly]

1877 - "The Hamilton Correspondent of the Toronto Globe wrote, in that paper's issue of 10 August,

"Since the Beach has become a place of public resort, the provision made by the Government for crossing the Burlington Canal by ferry, has become inadequate. The ferry was established over 20 years ago, when travel across the Beach was exceedingly limited and the ferryman's job was almost a sinecure. The Government regulations required the ferry to be at the free command of travellers from sunrise to sunset, but this is not sufficient to meet the requirements of the present day. It is true the ferryman, Mr.
Joyce, does not refuse to take travellers over at earlier or later hours than those prescribed, but his labours are too great for one man to perform.
It is stated that the average number of teams crossing in the summer is about 50 per day. For this work, Mr. Joyce receives $240.00 a year or 66 cents per day. It is true he has nothing to do during the winter, when the Bay is frozen over, but for five or six months in the year, his labour is enormous, nor can complaint be
justly made because when called upon to ferry people after hours, he occasionally accepts a fee for this extra work. There can be no doubt that new regulations are necessary and it seems that the case need only be properly presented to the Government to induce it to comply with the demands of the public for increased facilities."



"The Canal Ferry was again in the news on the 30 August, when a news item stated,

"The ferry across the Canal has been stopped for some days past to allow certain improvements to be made. These have been completed and the ferry is again in operation.... It is understood that the Government will put a new one on next season, but it would be much better if some other and less troublesome means could be contrived for crossing the canal."

It was nearly 20 years before this "other and less troublesome means" appeared in the form of a swing bridge for vehicular traffic."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1877



1881 - "By the end of May, the Storm Drum, which was hoisted at the Burlington Light Station, was augmented by the addition of a cone, the position of which indicated the expected wind direction when a storm was approaching."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1881



1884 - "On Monday, 1 December, Capt. Campbell removed the buoy from Rush Bed, opposite McIlwraith's Wharf. He would have to keep his lights glowing until the propeller CELTIC and the schooner UNDINE made port on their final voyages of the season."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1884

1886 - "At 7:30 p.m. on the 13 October, the storm signal at the Canal was hoisted, indicating a moderate gale from the east, shifting south to southeast. Up until noon the following day, the wind was easterly at 15
knots, with occasional rain squalls. Then the wind shifted to the south and velocity increased to 30 miles per hour, the signal being changed, indicating a gale from the south, swinging into the west and northwest. By
4:00 p.m. the wind velocity was 50 miles per hour and by midnight on the 14 October, it reached 60."

"Much damage was done along the Beach. Many trees came down, small boats were smashed and Bastien's boat houses were demolished. Capt. Campbell had quite a struggle to reach his lights without being blown into the canal."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1886

1888 - "The dredge JOHN PAGE commenced work at the east end of the Burlington Canal on the 4 August. Accompanied by a tug and two dump scows, the dredge would remove obstructions and establish a 14 foot channel.

The Hamilton Spectator in an article on the 15 August remarked that since the dredge was working in the Canal, it might be a good idea if the Rush Bed was removed and so make the approach to the City Docks easier. Adam Brown, M.P. was instructed to promote the matter at Ottawa."

"The dredging of the Canal was completed by mid-October, giving a minimum depth of 14'6" and a depth of 18' at the Lake end."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1888


1893 - "The supplementary estimates provided by the Dominion Government included $1,500 for the scow ferry at the Canal and $6,000 for further dredging in the Harbour. On receipt of this news, a delegation approached the Minister of Railways and Canals, urging that the antiquated ferry be replaced by a road swing bridge."


"By mid-November it was announced, that a delegation would go to Ottawa and endeavour to convince the Minister of Public Works, J. A. Ouimet, that it was essential to build a swing bridge over the Burlington Canal. The delegation consisted of the Members of Parliament for Halton, South Wentworth and Hamilton as well as Major Grey of the Dept. of Public Works."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1893


1894 - "The news that the Dept of Public Works was going to build a road swing bridge at the Canal was made public on the 13 July. An appropriation of $5,000. for foundation work was included in the Supplementary Estimates."


"The Government dredge NIPISSING was working in the Burlington Canal and was bringing up much coal and wreckage from the railway accident in 1891."


"Word was received from Ottawa that work on the sub-structure for the new swing bridge at the Canal would begin on the 1 October."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1894


"On the 28 August, plans of the new bob-tailed swing bridge were exhibited. The cost was estimated to be $40,000."

"Major Gray, of the Dept. of Public Works, visited the Beach on the same day and decided upon the location for the new bridge. It was to be just west of the ferry landing and Mr. Webb, the contractor, had been instructed to begin work immediately. It was hoped to have the bridge completed before the opening of navigation in 1896."

"Plans for the new swing bridge were received at the Customs House by the 17 September and tenders were to be submitted by the 15 October. The bridge was to have an over-all length of 260 feet with the turntable on the south side of the canal. The counter-weighted end, 100 ft., would extend south to an approach. When opened, the span would come to rest over the south pier, immediately in front of the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club house. The structure was to be of steel and would be swung by hand."

1895 - "Mr. Webb was busy with the preliminary work for the bridge foundations at the Canal and on the 5 October, the steam barge ABERDEEN was expected with 500 bbls. of Portland cement. The Government engineer, Geo. E. Perley, had taken up residence on the Beach to supervise the job."


"A letter was sent to City Council on the 7 October, requesting that body to do something about having the Burlington Canal dredged. It was signed by the Hamilton Iron & Steel Co.,T. Myles & Son,Capt. John B. Fairgrieve and R. O. & A. B. MacKay."


I wonder what role if any the city played in the dredging of the canal.

"A government dredge and scow were working on the new bridge site and a 20 foot deep cofferdam was being built."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1895


1896 - "On Saturday, 3 August, the Dominion Bridge Co. decided to try out the new swing bridge. It was swung, but 14 men were required to carry out this simple operation! The report stated that some adjustments were needed.
Obviously. Also, the deck was not complete. It was further mentioned that the bridge would be electrically worked as soon as the Hamilton Radial Railway reached the Canal. Further north along the Beach, Messrs. Goldie & McCullough had built the three furnaces for the boilers in the Railway Power House and had erected the two engines, except for mounting the flywheels.
The coal bins were being filled."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1896

1896 - "The local vessel-men were urging that the range lights on the Canal be made red, as the lights at the Hamilton Blast Furnace Co. confused them when they came in at night."


<http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?
ID=Y1896>
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1896


1898 - "The Department of Public Works spent a modest $6,000 repairing the North Pier at the Burlington Canal."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1898


1899 - "From Ottawa came word that $40,000 was included in the estimates for repairs to the piers at the Burlington Canal."

http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?I
D=Y1899

 

[David O'Reilly]

1894 - ". The south pier on the Bay side, at the Canal had undergone repairs, 140 feet of it being replaced. This required 28,000 feet of timber."
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/Brookes/default.asp?ID=Y1894

 

[David O'Reilly]

I've found a great page on 'Old Port Hamilton. It doesn't have anything directly to do with the beach, but is a nice tie-in with the history of the Burlington Canal.

http://workerscity.ca/north-end/old-port-hamilton/