Pleasure Craft: Everything you need to know
2024 Pleasure Craft Season Dates at the Canadian Locks
Montreal/Lake Ontario Section
May 10 to May 12, 2024
May 17 to October 14, 2024
October 18 to October 20, 2024
Welland Canal
May 1 to October 31, 2024
Know before you go!
Prior to using our system, carefully review practices, procedures, and guidelines contained in our Pleasure Craft Guide.
Safe travels!
Other Key Information for Pleasure Craft Users
Lockage Schedule and Conditions
Get information on the lockage schedule for pleasure craft and learn what to do when you arrive at the lock.
Tolls
Get information about tolls and payment methods for Canadian and U.S. Locks.
Reservations
Learn how to make a reservation and access our reservation system.
Reservation System Login
Access the Pleasure Craft Reservations System.
Pleasure Craft Bulletins
Access Seaway Pleasure Craft Bulletins, which address issues specific to a given navigation season and register to receive bulletins by email.
Bridge Schedule
Plan ahead. Check the bridge schedule.*
*Applies only to the Larocque bridge and the Saint-Louis bridge.
Other Resources
Access other helpful resources.
FAQ
If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for in the FAQ, please fill out the Feedback Form, on the “Contact Us” page.
Lockage Schedule and Conditions
NOTE: Refer to the Pleasure Craft Guide for procedures and safety guidelines associated with lockages.
All Canadian locks require reservations. Please refer to the reservation section of this website.
Canadian Lock schedules
Lockage Schedule for Pleasure Craft (Montreal / Lake Ontario)
Upbound lockages :
- Saint-Lambert : 9 :00 a.m.
- Côte Sainte-Catherine : 11 :00 a.m.
- Beauharnois lower (BOH3) : 3 :00 p.m.
- Beauharnois upper (BOH4) : 4 :00 p.m.
Downbound lockages :
- Beauharnois upper (BOH4) : 11:00 a.m.*
- Beauharnois lower (BOH3) : 12 :00 p.m.
- Côte Sainte-Catherine : 4 :00 p.m.
- Saint-Lambert : 6 :00 p.m.
Iroquois: There’s no fixed schedule. The lockages will take place anywhere between 08:00 am and 06:00 pm depending on lock availability
*Beauharnois lockage times will be coordinated with the pleasure craft bridge lift schedule for Larocque (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield) and Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague bridges. Pleasure craft operators wishing to transit Beauharnois locks downbound must present themselves at the Larocque Bridge (Valleyfield) no later than 9:00 a.m.
Please note that the pleasure craft lockage schedule is fixed. On the day of transit, check our website Expected Pleasure Craft Lockage Schedule to make sure there’s no change to the regular schedule.
Lockage Schedule for Pleasure Craft (Welland Canal)
Upbound Transits – from Port Weller to Port Colborne
Transits are available on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
On the day of transit, pleasure craft users with confirmed reservations must be in position at the Port Weller small boat dock by 9:00 a.m. and must report in to the Seaway’s Operations Control Centre on VHF Channel 14 (156.7MHz) or by phone at 289-690-4344.
**Pleasure craft registered after the 9:00 a.m. cut off time will not be able to transit until the next scheduled operating day.**
Downbound Transits – from Port Colborne to Port Weller
Transits are available on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
On the day of transit, pleasure craft users with confirmed reservations must be in position at the Port Colborne small boat dock by 07:00 a.m. and must report in to the Seaway’s Operations Control Centre on VHF Channel 14 (156.7MHz) or by phone at 289-690-4344.
**Pleasure craft registered after the 7:00 a.m. cut off time will not transit until the next scheduled operating day.**
American Locks
US Snell and Eisenhower Locks
For the U.S. Snell and Eisenhower locks there will be no pre-set lockage schedules for pleasure craft.
Tolls
Tolls at Canadian Locks
Tolls apply only to pleasure craft up to 300 gross registered tonnes. Larger craft are subject to the regular tolls payable under the Seaway Schedule of Tolls which is included in the Seaway Handbook, together with the Seaway Practices and Procedures.
St. Lambert Lock, Côte St. Catherine Lock, Iroquois Lock ($25.00 CAD each lock)
Beauharnois Locks 3 & 4 ($50.00 CAD for the two locks)
Welland Canal Locks ($200.00 CAD for all eight locks)
Payment Method at Canadian Locks
Cash is not accepted as payment for tolls at Canadian locks. Pleasure Craft users must use the online reservation system and pay online.
Tolls at American Locks
Pleasure Craft Toll per Lock: $30 (cash, U.S. or Canadian funds)
Payment Method at American Locks
At the American locks in the Montreal/Lake Ontario section, tolls for upbound craft will be collected by the officer in charge at the Bertrand H. Snell lock. Tolls for downbound craft will be collected by the officer in charge at the Dwight D. Eisenhower lock. Every effort should be made to have the exact toll (cash) available. No premium will be allowed for currency exchange rates.
American locks do not accept credit cards nor sell tickets at the locks; however, tickets can be purchased in advance at the www.pay.gov website (via the link below).
Reservations
Quick Start Guide for the Pleasure Craft Reservation System
NOTE: The reservation system applies only to the Canadian locks.
About Reservations for Canadian Locks
- The reservation system is a self-serve system to allow users to reserve a lockage time and pay the pleasure craft tolls for locks in Saint-Lambert, Côte Sainte-Catherine, Beauharnois, Iroquois, and the Welland Canal.
- Cash is not accepted as payment for tolls at Canadian locks. Users wishing to transit Saint- Lambert, Côte Sainte-Catherine, Beauharnois or Iroquois locks in the Montreal-Lake Ontario Section or the Welland Canal must use the on-line pleasure craft lockage reservation system.
Montreal/Lake Ontario Section
(Saint-Lambert, Côte Sainte-Catherine, Beauharnois, Iroquois)
- Reservations must be made prior to 9:00 a.m. for a morning lockage and prior to noon for an morning lockage on the day of transit
- Modifications or cancellations can be made via the reservation system up to 9:00 a.m. on the day of transit.
Welland Canal
- Reservations must be made prior to 7:00 a.m. on the day of transit.
- Modifications or cancellations can be made via the reservation system up to 7:00 a.m. on the day of transit.
Pleasure Craft Bulletins
Seaway Pleasure Craft Bulletins provide important information to users. To subscribe to receive these bulletins by email, click here.
- Seaway Pleasure Craft Bulletins – Welland Canal
- Seaway Pleasure Craft Bulletins – Montreal / Lake Ontario
Bridge Schedule
There is no fixed schedule for the CPR train bridges, located above Mercier bridge in the south shore canal. The Larocque (Valleyfield) and St-Louis-de-Gonzague bridges have a fixed schedule :
| Larocque (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield) | Saint-Louis Bridge |
|
9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. |
9:45 a.m. 5:15 p.m. |
When pleasure craft are present, bridge lifts will be performed at fixed times between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. in accordance to the dates and schedules outlined above. Outside those dates and hours, bridge lifts for pleasure craft will be performed as required. That said, to ensure motorists using the bridge receive adequate notice of an upcoming bridge lift, pleasure craft may experience a wait time of up to 60 minutes.