Joe Riley
Well-known member
"The St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened June 26, 1959, in a joint international ceremony presided over by Queen Elizabeth II as Canada's head of state, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker."
"The inauguration marked the completion of a 5-year, joint U.S.-Canadian project that created a channel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
While the formal dedication took place in June, the seaway had actually been operational two months earlier. The Canadian icebreaker D'Iberville made the first transit April 25, 1959.
Queen Elizabeth II, President Eisenhower and Prime Minister Diefenbaker formally opened the seaway with a short cruise aboard the royal yacht HMY Britannia after addressing crowds in Saint-Lambert, Quebec. The ceremonies continued the following day in Massena, New York, with the Queen and U.S. Vice-President Richard M. Nixon speaking."
"The system extends nearly 2,500 miles (3,700 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Duluth, Minnesota, on Lake Superior. An unintended impact of the project allowed invasive marine life, including the sea lamprey, into the Great Lakes."
