OGDENSBURG, NY — U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard vessels have reportedly begun breaking ice along parts of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system in anticipation of the start of the 2019 shipping season this week.
In the first official shipping notice of the season issued by Seaway officials, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. — the Canadian and U.S. organizations that jointly manage the international waterway — said Welland Canal, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, will open on Friday.
Likewise, the Montreal and Lake Ontario section of the seaway system — which includes Eisenhower and Snell locks in Massena — will open on March 26, officials said.
Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority Executive Director Wade A. Davis said the opening of the shipping season is a positive annual occurrence that provides local jobs and generates millions of dollars in economic activity for the region.
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