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How do we use it?
Transport
 Canada
- Water is the most economical means of moving Canada's bulky commodity exports: wheat, pulp, lumber, fossil fuels, and minerals.
- The three main transportation waterways are the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway, which allows passage of ocean-going ships from the Atlantic Ocean into the North American heartland; the Mackenzie River, which is a vital northern transportation link; and the lower Fraser River on the Pacific coast.
- The economic impact of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway system on the Canadian economy in 1996 was estimated at between $2 billion and $4 billion annually, with the movement of more than 200 million tonnes of cargo.
Linking the Great Lakes to the world [323 Kb]
- There are 19 locks, 6 canals and navigable waterways in the 2038 nautical miles of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway which stretches from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the western end of Lake Superior. Since it opened in 1959, more than $2 billion tonnes of cargo estimated at $300 billion (U.S.) have moved to and from Canada, the United States, and nearly 50 other nations through the Seaway. Each lock is 233.5 metres long, 24.4 metres wide and 9.1 metres deep over the sill. A lock fills with approximately 91 million litres of water in just 7 to 10 minutes. Getting through a lock takes about 45 minutes.
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