Completed in 1829 (and restored to its current version in 1932), the Welland Canal is a system of 8 locks that connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. By filling and draining the locks of water, the Welland Canal allows approximately 3000 ships a year to ascend and descend a vertical distance of 99.5 m (326 ft)! Visitors can see the engineering marvel and watch ships travel through the locks from viewing platforms along the canal.