Discovering the three largest shipwrecks in the St. Lawrence River

The SS "Leecliffe Hall" sailing on the Welland Canal, Ontario, shortly before it sank in the St. Lawrence. (Matt Miner Collection), Author provided

Of all the rivers in the world, the St. Lawrence River is undeniably one of the most challenging for mariners.

This water highway is at some spots as narrow as a large river and, at others, as wide as a small sea. It has played a vital role over the last three centuries as an important artery for trade, communication, transportation and settlement. And since 1959, the year the St. Lawrence Seaway was inaugurated, it has been a gateway to the heart of the continent.