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
Welland Canal ship locks. Seven of the locks (Locks 1–7, the 'Lift' locks) are long and raise (or lower) passing ships by between each. The southernmost lock, (Lock 8 – the 'Guard' or 'Control' lock) is in length. The Garden City Skyway passes over the canal, restricting the maximum height of the masts of the ships allowed on this canal to . All other highway or railroad crossings of the Welland Canal are either movable bridges (of the vertical lift or bascule bridge types) or subterranean tunnels. The maximum permissible length of a ship in this canal is . It takes ships