A Canadian Enterprise: The Welland Canals

This book embodies the problems inherent in shifting speeches to written form; what sounds good does not necessarily succeed in print. In this case, the most entertaining speaker rambles through nineteen toasts from a long-ago banquet, and a digression about French explorers. The most churlish-sounding speaker gives the most information.

The title is misleading in that the second lecture is about the sons of Merritt, instigator of the canals’ construction. There is useful material for those interested in the St. Catharines area and the Welland Canals, and the many illustrations are fascinating.

Dr. Jas. J. Talman, University of Western Ontario, gave the first lecture, “The Welland Canals and Their Importance to the General Development of the Canadian Economy.” He points out the incredible economic influence of digging the canals, as goods could be sold to far wider markets when cheaply transported by waterway.

Dr. James A. Gibson, Brock University, delivered the second lecture, “The Sons of William Hamilton Merritt.” There were three surviving sons. Jedediah Prendergast, St. Catharines Post Master for eighteen years, was instrumental in having large numbers of historical works about Canada copied in England and placed in the Canadian Parliamentary Library, an act of inestimable importance. William Hamilton, Junior, died at 39. Although, he studied languages and law, he never practiced, but promoted railways and the mineral waters of St. Catharines. Thomas Rodman was a merchant and miller of substance; he owned a fleet of vessels and was a bank president.

In all, these collected speeches offer interesting historical background information on the Welland Canals. But the book will be primarily of local interest.