Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PortColborne(
www.portcolborne.ca
)
isthesouthernmostlockontheWellandCanal.Ithas
the ambience of a small canal town. Emigration here started in 1790, with the population
surgingaftercompletionofthefirstWellandCanalin1833.AsagatewaytoLakeErie,Port
Colborne serves as a hub for many seasonal cottage residents who flock to the quaint canal
area for its shops and restaurants.
The
Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum
(280 King St., 905/834-7604,
www.portcolborne.ca
,
noon-5pm daily May-Dec., free) is a treasure for history lovers. The
museum consists of a small campus of buildings restored to their 19th-century charm. The
museum'smainsiteisthe1869Georgianrevival-stylehomeandcarriagehouseofArabella
Williams. The campus also includes a log cabin schoolhouse, a marine blacksmith shop,
and a reproduction of the parapet of Port Colborne's lighthouse. The museum has marine
artifacts such as the wheelhouse from a tugboat and a lifeboat from the S.S.
Hochelaga.
Top off your visit to the museum with a light afternoon tea at Arabella's Tea Room, a fully
restored 1915 Edwardian cottage that is small, but elegant.
PortColborneisagreatspotforwatchingmassiveboatsnavigatethroughthelocks.Port
Colborne's Lock 8 is among the longest in the world, at 1,380 feet. Most visitors will only
need to spend two hours in Port Colborne.
