Setting Sail

While most jobs are directly related to the operation and maintenance of the canal, the constant passage of these numerous ships, often from far away, offers new opportunities for young men dreaming of adventure and travel. While waiting to pass through the locks, there is plenty of time to chat, exchange stories, or offer jobs that need to be filled quickly.

Thus, it is not uncommon for a ship captain to occasionally hire unemployed young people as sailors as they approach the locks.

During the years of the canal's activity, several men from the region were hired directly by the shipping companies to fill positions as sailors, mechanics, pilots, and even captains on boats plying the St. Lawrence River between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.