First Welland Canal was let into the Feeder and Welland Canals in November 1829. As with other locations in the peninsula, shantytowns sprung up along the Feeder Canal. These later developed into places like Dunnville, Wainfleet and Welland, among others. The Welland Canal was officially opened on November 30, 1829, exactly five years after the first turning of the sod. Two schooners, "Annie and Jane" from York, Upper Canada and "R.H. Broughton" from Youngstown, New York, left Port Dalhousie on Lake Ontario and arrived in Buffalo on the eastern end of Lake Erie two days later. "Annie and Jane" returned to Lake Ontario
First Welland Canal south of it were easy to dig in, but work was accelerated during mild weather of late 1832 and early 1833. On June 1, 1833, the schooner "Matilda", headed for Cleveland from Oakville, became the first ship to travel through the new channel. Overall, the combined Welland and Feeder Canals stretched between the two lakes, with 40 wooden locks. The minimum lock size was 33.5 m by 6.7 m (110 ft by 22 ft), with a minimum canal depth of 2.4 m (8 ft). Today, very little of the First Canal is evident. Much of the Feeder Canal, however is