Canals not dug?

[riggerrob]

If we quietly ignore 18th and 19th century digging dates, how would fewer canals affect industrial and civic development?
For example, had the Saint Lawrence Seaway never een completed in 1959 would Montreal become the largest port in Canada? Would that break-bulk encourage earlier option of standard -sized shipping containers Would no Welland Canal (Niagara escarpment.restrict access from sea to major American automobile factories Ohia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iilinois, etc. How much the trains should be carrying rising railroads?
Would Ottawa be short an outdoor skating rink?

Without the Detroit Sanitary Canal (connection to upper Mississippi River, how would goods travel
from Detroit etroit to the Ocean?
Would more Canadian Prairie grains sail from Churchill?

 

[David T]

Without the Detroit Sanitary Canal (connection to upper Mississippi River, how would goods travel
from Detroit etroit to the Ocean?

I googled "Detroit Sanitary Canal" and found no such thing...

Are you talking about the Illinois and Michigan Canal? It was hardly completed when railroads started taking over many of its functions... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_and_Michigan_Canal

 

[riggerrob]

Sorry!
I meant the Chicago Sanitary Canal that connects Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River.

 

[Driftless]

My bet.... Much more bulk grain shipments from the Great Plains states and Provinces by rail and where practical by Mississippi barges (that traffic has be quite heavy at times). Perhaps the same would be true for iron ore from the Mesabi, Cuyuna, Gunflint and other Lake Superior ranges would need to be shipped by rail. I'd guess the weight of the iron ore would require too deep draft for Mississippi and Ohio River barges to get to eastern steel mills. Much of the Upper-Mississippi River channels were historically required to only be dredged to 9 foot depth.