Steamships were first introduced into the United States in 1807, and John Molson built the first steamship in Canada(then called British North America) in 1809. By the 1830's dozens of steam vessels were in use in Canada. They offered the traveler reliable transportation in comfortable facilities-a welcome alternative to stagecoach travel, which at the best of times
could only be described as wretched. This commitment to dependable river transport became entrenched with the investment of millions of dollars for the improvement of waterways. which included the construction of canals and lock systems. The Lachine and Welland canals. two of the most important systems. were opened in 1825 and 1829, respectively. By the time that Upper and Lower Canada were united into the Province of Canada in 1841. the public debt for canals was more than one hundred dollars per capita. an enormous sum for the time. But it may not seem such a great amount if we consider that improvements allowed steamboats to remain practical for most commercial transport in Canada until the mid-- nineteenth century.
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