Work on the canal, which connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, is one portion of a $C395 million, five-year asset renewal program by the SLSMC to provide greater reliability.

An $C86 million contract was just issued to selected contractor Dufferin Construction for the labor portion of the project, which specifically entails the removal of the present timber tie-up walls and the construction of new tie-up walls using steel and concrete.

The balance of the funding envelope is dedicated to engineering, the purchase of various supplies and inspection activities.

SLSMC said the tie-up walls to be replaced include Locks 1, 2 and 3. Work will begin early this month and is expected to wrap up in the northern spring of 2017.

“We anticipate that a substantial amount of this investment will directly benefit the regional economy,” Welland operations general manager Luc Boisclair said.

“Dufferin has completed work of a similar nature in the past for the Seaway, and was selected after a thorough tendering process.”

While a nearby trail and portions of a roadway will be closed for periods of time during the project.

According to seaway officials, more than 227,000 jobs and $C35 billion in economic activity are supported by the movement of goods within the Great Lakes on the seaway system.