The lift bridge in Allanburg raised to allow passage for a ship.

Allanburg is a community within the City of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Welland Canal and Highway 20, both important transportation routes through the Niagara Peninsula. The two cross at a lift bridge, numbered as Bridge 11 by the Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority, but often known simply as the Allanburg Bridge. The bridge's fiery collision with a ship made national news in 2001. Categories: Canada geography stubs | Cities in Ontario ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English, French (in some areas) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 106 24 Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 4th 1,076,395... Lock 3 of the Welland Canal, with the Garden City Skyway bridge in background. ... The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Ontario, Canada lying on the south shore of Lake Ontario. ... A lift bridge over the Erie Canal at Lockport. ... The Saint Lawrence Seaway in its broadest sense is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. ...

Inception of the Welland Canal

The original sod-turning ceremony for the construction of the First Welland Canal took place in the area on November 30, 1824. Today, a cairn at the west approach to the lift bridge commemorates the event. November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Windoc incident

At approximately 9 pm on August 11, 2001, the lift bridge collided with the bulk carrier Windoc. The ship's wheelhouse and funnel were ripped off in the collision, starting a fire on board. Uncontrollable, the vessel drifted downstream and grounded approximately 800 metres from the bridge. Fire fighting units from throughout Niagara Region were involved in the efforts to put out the fire, parking the fire trucks on the canal's banks. The falling dusk made the fire dramatic, and the video footage was later shown on many newscasts. The 12-hour clock is a timekeeping convention in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods called ante meridiem (, Latin for before noon) and post meridiem (, Latin for after noon). Each period consists of 12 hours numbered 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... August 11 is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A funnel is the smokestack on a ship used to expel boiler smoke or engine exhaust ... Fire fighting is the knowledge and techniques required to extinguish a fire. ... Motto: Unity, Responsibility, Loyalty Area: 1,852 sq. ... Engine 4 - City of Chico, CA A Fire Engine is one of many specialized fire suppression apparatuses. ...

There was no loss of life, as the crew was able to escape the wheelhouse before its destruction. The Canal reopened to shipping two days later, but the bridge remained locked in a raised position while engineers studied and repaired the structure. Road traffic through central Niagara was left in considerable chaos, as the number of canal crossings is limited. Detours were set up to travel through the Thorold Tunnel north of Allanburg. Eventually, the damage to the bridge was found to be minor and repaired. Windoc was converted into a barge. The Thorold Tunnel, located in Thorold, Ontario, Canada, is an underwater tunnel, carrying Highway 58 across the Welland Canal. ... Self propelled barge carrying bulk crushed stone A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. ...

Later, an investigation found that the tired bridge operator lowered the bridge before the ship had cleared the span.

External links

• The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's report on the Windoc collision
• Welland Public Library's collision newspaper clippings