Allanburg, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Allanburg is a community within the City of Thorold
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located on the Welland Canal
and Highway 20
, both important transportation routes through the Niagara Peninsula
. The two cross at a 1932-built vertical-lift bridge, numbered as Bridge 11 by the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Authority, but often known simply as the Allanburg Bridge. The collision of the ship Windoc
with the bridge made national news in 2001.
took place in the area on November 30, 1824. Today, a cairn at the west approach to the lift bridge commemorates the event.
were ripped off in the collision, starting a fire on board. Uncontrollable, the vessel drifted downstream and ran aground from the bridge. Fire fighting
units from throughout Niagara Region
were involved in the efforts to put out the fire, parking the fire trucks
on the canal's banks.
There was no loss of life. The master
and third officer
were able to escape the wheelhouse before its destruction. The wheelsman
remained in the wheelhouse and survived the collision by laying on the deck until the bridge span passed overhead. The Canal reopened to shipping two days later, but the bridge remained locked in a raised position while engineers studied and repaired the structure. Road traffic through central Niagara was left in considerable chaos, as the number of canal crossings is limited. Detours were set up to travel through the Thorold Tunnel
north of Allanburg. Eventually, the damage to the bridge was found to be minor and repaired. Windoc has sat in the port of Montreal
ever since, inoperable and its bilges flooded. Later, an investigation found that the impaired bridge operator lowered the bridge before the ship had cleared the span.
Thorold
Thorold may refer to:Places* Thorold, Ontario* Thorold Tunnel, OntarioSport* Thorold Blackhawks, Canadian junior ice hockey teamAnimals*Thorold's deerPeople...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located on the Welland Canal
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...
and Highway 20
Highway 20 (Ontario)
King's Highway 20, also known as Highway 20, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Presently, it is a short stub between Highway 58 and Niagara Regional Road 70 in the town of Thorold.- History :...
, both important transportation routes through the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
. The two cross at a 1932-built vertical-lift bridge, numbered as Bridge 11 by the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
Authority, but often known simply as the Allanburg Bridge. The collision of the ship Windoc
Windoc
Windoc was the name of two Great Lakes freighters owned by Canadian shipping company N.M. Paterson & Sons Ltd., with the second ship named in memory of the first in 1986. Both ships suffered similar accidents with lift bridges on the Welland Canal....
with the bridge made national news in 2001.
Inception of the Welland Canal
The original sod-turning ceremony for the construction of the First Welland CanalFirst Welland Canal
The Welland Canal has gone through many incarnations in its history. Today, five distinct canal-construction efforts are recognized. The retronym First Welland Canal is applied to the original canal, constructed from 1824 to 1829 and 1831 to 1833....
took place in the area on November 30, 1824. Today, a cairn at the west approach to the lift bridge commemorates the event.
Windoc incident
At approximately 20:54 on August 11, 2001, the bulk carrier vessel Windoc struck the descending Allanburg lift bridge. The ship's wheelhouse and funnelFunnel (ship)
A funnel is the smokestack or chimney on a ship used to expel boiler steam and smoke or engine exhaust. They can also be known in as stacks.-Purpose:...
were ripped off in the collision, starting a fire on board. Uncontrollable, the vessel drifted downstream and ran aground from the bridge. Fire fighting
Fire fighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing fires. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment...
units from throughout Niagara Region
Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Niagara , also known as the Niagara Region, or, colloquially, "Regional Niagara", is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada....
were involved in the efforts to put out the fire, parking the fire trucks
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
on the canal's banks.
There was no loss of life. The master
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
and third officer
Third Mate
A Third Mate or Third Officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The third mate is a watchstander and customarily the ship's safety officer and fourth-in-command...
were able to escape the wheelhouse before its destruction. The wheelsman
Helmsman
A helmsman is a person who steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, or other type of maritime vessel. On small vessels, particularly privately-owned noncommercial vessels, the functions of skipper and helmsman may be combined in one person. On larger vessels, there is a separate officer of the watch,...
remained in the wheelhouse and survived the collision by laying on the deck until the bridge span passed overhead. The Canal reopened to shipping two days later, but the bridge remained locked in a raised position while engineers studied and repaired the structure. Road traffic through central Niagara was left in considerable chaos, as the number of canal crossings is limited. Detours were set up to travel through the Thorold Tunnel
Thorold Tunnel
The Thorold Tunnel, located in Thorold, Ontario, Canada, is an underwater tunnel, carrying Highway 58 underneath the Welland Canal. Built between 1965 and 1967, the tunnel is 840 metres in length. It consists of two separate tubes, each two lanes wide...
north of Allanburg. Eventually, the damage to the bridge was found to be minor and repaired. Windoc has sat in the port of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
ever since, inoperable and its bilges flooded. Later, an investigation found that the impaired bridge operator lowered the bridge before the ship had cleared the span.
See also
- Port Robinson, Ontario, site of a similar bridge collision on the Welland Canal
External links
- Destroyed in Seconds, a show outlining the disaster, aired on the Discovery Channel in 2008
- The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's report on the Windoc collision
- Welland Public Library's collision newspaper clippings
External links
- Allanburg at Geographical Names of Canada