Dear Members,
Please note that the Seaway has issued their first 2026 Radio Message which announces the opening of the 2026 navigation season, with the **Montreal/Lake Ontario section and the Welland Canal scheduled to open on Sunday, March 22 at 08:00 hours; it warns mariners that ice and broken ice remain in parts of the Montreal/Lake Ontario section (including South Shore Canal and below Beauharnois locks) and in the Welland Canal/Port Colborne area, that one-way navigation is in effect in some ice-affected zones, and that vessels should exercise extreme caution and proceed at the slowest safe speed until ice clears and lighted aids are commissioned.
As a reminder, please also note that the Seaway is experiencing technical issues affecting the delivery of emails to some subscribers. The Seaway encourage users to consult its website regularly to ensure they have the most up-to-date information until the issue is resolved. In the meantime, the Federation will continue to relay Seaway Notices via its Operational Notices.
Sincerely,
Farah Ahmad
Coordinator, Operations