Upper Canada Towns Move
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During the late 1950's the St Lawrence Seaway was built affecting many villages and towns along ( 20,000 acres flooded) the St. Lawrence. Some 600 houses where moved , along with cemeteries. People could write into the Hydro commission to say what their families wished to have done with the Gravestones and bodies in these cemeteries. Most people only had the Gravestones moved.
From a Ontario Hydro Leaflet of 1956:
ST. LAWRENCE POWER PROJECT
This general arrangement map shows the 35 mile International Rapids section of the St
Lawrence River where the 2,200,000 horsepower hydro electric project will be
constructed; one half of the power produced (1,100,000 horsepower) will be Ontario's
share. Impressive international ceremonies on August 10 marked the official start of work.
Ontario Hydro and the New York State Power Authority are partners in the construction
project and will share the $600,000,000 costs. The three principal structures will be (1) the
power house, which will hose the generators. And will be located between the eastern end
of Barnharts Island and the Canadian mainland, three miles west of Cornwall; (2) Long
Sault Dam, situated between the western tip of Barnharts Island and the United States
mainland, three miles upstream from the powerhouse structure and intended to divert the
desired amount of water to the headpond, allowing, as necessary, excess amounts to bypass
the powerhouse; (3) Iroquois Dam, located at Iroquois Point near the town of Iroquois, 25
miles upstream from the Long Sault Dam, which will permit regulation of levels and the
outflow of water from Lake Ontario.
The Headpond above the powerhouse, will inundate sections of the Canadian shore for a
distance of 35 miles. An area of approximately 16 1/4 square miles, affecting some 5,000
persons, will be placed under water, including the villages of, Iroquois, Aultsville, Farran
Point, Dickinson Landing, Wales, Moulinette, Mille Roches, and about one third of the
town of Morrisburg. Ontario Hydro, at the request of the Provincial Government, has set
up a committee to study the relocation, rehabilitation, and community planning of the areas
affected. Tenders for the initial stages of the work were called for in July 1954, and
included construction of Ontario Hydros project office, to be located west of Cornwall
near the powerhouse site; cofferdam construction for the Long Sault Dam and under
watering of this area, and cofferdam dewatering of the powerhouse section. First power
from the project is expected in the Fall of 1958, with substantial completion of the entire
power project in 1959.
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