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CHAPTER FOUR The St. Lawrence Seaway Project and Its Short-Term Social Impact on Cornwall and Massena, 1954–1958 The St. Lawrence Seaway Project is fittingly referred to as one of the “greatest construction shows on earth.”1 Consisting of seven locks, the widening of various canals, and the taming of rapids between Alexandria Bay, New York and Montreal, Canada, the Seaway was the culmination of a century-long dream to link the Great Lakes interior industrial hubs in the United States to the Atlantic Ocean. Previously, ocean-going vessels were halted at the entrance to Lake Ontario, where their freight was unloaded onto train cars and transported by rail to waiting ships in the port of Montreal. Rivaling the great dam and waterway projects of the 1920s, the Seaway also introduced new state-of-the-art equipment, employed a large and diverse workforce, and required the cooperation of numerous contractors. At the time of its completion in 1959, the total cost for the construction of the 342-mile waterway was more than $l billion, a financial burden shared equally by the national governments of the United States, Canada, and the provincial and state administrations of Ontario and New York. Local politicians on both sides of the border predicted that the abundance of cheap power and accessible water transportation offered by the project would lure new industrial investors to Cornwall and Massena and transform them into annual tourist destinations. Mayor Aaron Horovitz, a longtime businessman and politician in Cornwall, stated in 1955, “The eyes of industrialists are on the St. Lawrence Seaway and power project and authorities predict a heavy concentration of industry in this area. . . . Cornwall is the envy of every city in Canada.”2 Conversely many scholars and economists were less optimistic. In two studies conducted by faculty and students at Syracuse University, the authors cautioned that there was no guarantee that the economies of Cornwall and Massena would experience permanent change.3 91 92 From Great Wilderness to Seaway Towns Canadian and American officials in the 1950s clearly viewed Cornwall and Massena as strategic construction centers for the Seaway, not as keys to the future of their nations. Even the pessimists conceded that the project would temporarily increase the areas’ populations. During the duration of construction, Massena and Cornwall experienced population expansion and religious diversification. The men who constructed the Seaway were from various regions of Canada and the United States. Most were transient workers who moved from one project to another. Cornwall and Massena residents mutually disliked their towns being invaded by these outsiders. They found the rowdy lifestyle of Seaway workers to be unacceptable and tried to curb their behavior. Town residents saw religion as a way to instill morals and spirituality in Seaway workers and retain traditional social bonds. Clerics built new churches near workers’ houses and increased the number of Sunday services to coincide with workers’ shifts and relieve pew overcrowding. According to Ron Cummings, “The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Hydro Power Project had brought thousands of people to Cornwall, causing unprecedented social upheaval.”4 The St. Lawrence Seaway Project had similar short-term social and economic impacts on Cornwall and Massena. For four years residents on both sides of the border encountered individuals from various regions of the country who harbored different religious and social values. The towns were also the center of national media attention and became tourist attractions. Merchants increased their sales by providing goods and services for workers and other visitors. Town officials hired new policemen to deal with increasing traffic and crime and enlarged schools to accommodate the large number of school-age children. The shared experience of Cornwall and Massena residents from 1954 to 1959 strengthened their regional identity and reinforced their differences with their more homogeneous rural neighbors. Between 1895 and 1951 neither American nor Canadian officials viewed the St. Lawrence Seaway Project as a top priority. U.S. senators and presidents introduced two treaties, an executive order, several riders to river and transport bills, and more than a dozen individual bills seeking the approval of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project. Each of their efforts met with outright rejection or strong opposition. In Canada, prior to World War II, prime ministers and members of Parliament saw no immediate need for the Seaway. Canadian engineers continually upgraded the nation’s canal system and rail service to handle public and private transportation needs. The operators of government-owned...

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