A recreational hiking and biking trail also runs parallel to the canal; a brochure is available from St. Catharines Recreational Community Services, (905) 937-7210.

Running a fairly straight north-to-south path, the Welland Canal is more than half a mile wide at its widest and 27.6 miles long, which equates to 24 nautical miles or 44.4 kilometers.

The Welland Canal is set to open its navigation season on March 22, but St. Catharines, Ont., won’t host its annual opening-day celebration until a few days later. The “top ...