Celebrating 60 years of St. Lawrence Seaway

Image of Shawna O'Neill
By Shawna O'Neill
Celebrating 60 years of St. Lawrence Seaway
Tracey Chaussi, Tammy Jodoin and Michelle Piquette, volunteers at the second annual Seaway Tea (Shawna O'Neill, Seaway News photo).

LONG SAULT, Ontario – One hundred community members came together at Sunset Cove Retirement to remember the historic St. Lawrence Seaway opening 60 years ago on June 27, 1959 during the afternoon of Saturday, June 22.

For $10, attendees could enjoy tea and homemade baked goods at the second annual event, held by the Lost Villages Historical Society. This year’s theme was Queen Elizabeth, honouring her visit to the area.

“I think it’s great that some of the women even wore (fascinators) today,” said volunteer Tammy Jodoin.

“This year we celebrated, and we have displays set up, of Her Majesty’s visit to this area in 1959. On June 27, it will be 60 years since her visit to Cornwall, Long Sault, Morrisburg, Ingleside, Iroquois and Brockville, and it was the opening of the Seaway,” recounted Lost Villages Historical Society President Jim Brownell. “It gives people a chance to get together and celebrate and remember the communities we lost and the ones we have.”

Brownell expressed how important it is to pass down history through generations to ensure that locals will always remember the large-scale, and life changing events associated with the Seaway. He thanked all the residents, management and owner of Sunset Cove for opening their doors to the society and allowing them to frequently utilize a room downstairs.

“It’s volunteer driven; volunteers organized it and served here today…we couldn’t survive as a historical society without volunteers,” said Brownell.

This year’s event also had a raffle draw in which attendees could win prizes.

 

 

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