All event times and schedules are approximate and submit to weather, including fireworks. For further details, please call the City of Port Colborne at 1-888-PORT-FUN or visit www.canaldays.ca. 

 The Empire Sandy is presented by Algoma Central Corporation and Allied Marine & Industrial.

Join us during the Canal Days Marine Heritage festival on the civic holiday long weekend in August to sail aboard the Empire Sandy in Port Colborne! The Empire Sandy is a 200-foot topsail Schooner and is the largest in Canada. You can sail through the historic locks of the Welland Canal, sail on Lake Erie, or witness our spectacular firework display from the best seat in-town aboard the Empire Sandy.

Please note, there will no longer be dinner cruises on the Empire Sandy.

For more information about the Empire Sandy Cruises or to purchase tickets, please see below. If you require additional assistance, please contact 905-835-2900 or e-mail customerservice@portcolborne.ca

Purchase Empire Sandy tickets online here!

View the 2024 Empire Sandy schedule and ticket prices.

Rules on the Empire Sandy:

• Smoking is not permitted.
• Coolers are not permitted.
• Pets are not permitted, except for registered service animals.
• Lawn chairs are ONLY permitted on the Cruise’s Through the Locks.
• Children's car seats and strollers are permitted.
• The Empire Sandy can accommodate wheelchairs on deck, however, there is no wheelchair access to the restrooms. 

Information for the Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Sunset, and Fireworks Cruises:

• The boarding location for the Empire Sandy will be on West Street, roughly adjacent to 176 West Street, Port Colborne. You must park and then walk into the festival grounds to board the Empire Sandy. Parking is available throughout the city and at market square. Accessible parking is available at the City Hall parking lot (66 charlotte street) and in market square (across the street form City Hall)
• No meals are provided on any of these cruises; however, a cash concession and bar will be available on the Empire Sandy.

Information for the Cruise Through the Lock:

• For the Cruise’s Through the Lock’s ONLY there will be shuttles between Port Colborne and St. Catharines. Please contact eventservices@portcolborne.ca to reserve your seat on the shuttle. 
• Food is provided throughout the course of the day, if you have any dietary restrictions, please contact eventservices@portcolborne.ca
• The food includes a pastry and muffin breakfast, a sandwich and salad lunch, and a chicken buffet for dinner. A cash concession and bar will be available as well.

The Welland Canal is an active trade and commerce route, so visitors will be able to see salties, lakers, and barges travelling in and out of Lake Erie.

Vessel Deck Tours

Please Note: All times and fees are subject to change without notice. Weather conditions may affect tour times.

Entry on all Tall Ships is subject to ID and baggage check as per Transport Canada Regulations. 

Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 9:15 p.m. (time is subject to change due to Seaway Traffic)

Where else in the world, but Port Colborne, can you have the unique experience of having a parade where the floats…actually float! Hosted by the Sugarloaf Sailing Club, upwards of 20 boats sail the Welland Canal as a pre-show to the Sunday evening Fireworks Spectacular along Historic West Street.

The best place to view the Boat Parade of Lights is on West Street in downtown Port Colborne along the Canal.

This parade is a pre-show to the annual Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival Firework show. 

Fireworks are free to the general public. Make your way down to West Street along the Welland Canal for a spectacular show. After all, while the creativity of the technicians makes it special, it’s the families in attendance that make it a success.

West Street in downtown Port Colborne along the Canal is the best place to view this exhilarating firework show. This is a Canal Days tradition that never disappoints.

Thank you to RedBoss Pyrotechnicians for providing us with a great show year after year. 

Make sure you come early to check out the Boat Parade of Lights!

Located at the Vale Health and Wellness Centre, 550 Elizabeth Street, Port Colborne
Admission is FREE

The Port Colborne Optimist Club will once again host the Annual Canal Days indoor Craft Show. The event features unique handmade crafts, artwork, dolls, candles, and much more on display and on sale from approximately 75 Ontario vendors.

The Craft Show is a major fundraising effort for the Port Colborne Optimist Club, with all proceeds supporting children programs in the Port Colborne community.

For Craft Show vendor applications, please call Vivian at 905-834-6458 

Seaway Park, Located right over the Clarence Street Bridge on the East Side of the Canal

• Saturday, August 5, 2023 – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, August 6, 2023 – 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Monday, August 7, 2023 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year’s Children’s Area will feature:

coming soon

Located at Sugarloaf Marina, 3 Marina Drive, Port Colborne.

Tour donation of $15 per adult and $5 per child (ages 6-18). Children 5 and under are free.

Sign-up for tours at the Sugarloaf Marina Pavilion during Canal Days weekend.

Visit Port Colborne’s historic lighthouses that have aided navigation for the past 115 years! A guided tour will be provided by volunteers of the Friends of the Port Colborne Lighthouse.

The 12.8 meter square tower of the inner lighthouse was constructed in 1903 followed by the 11 meter tall foghorn/outer lighthouse in 1928. See the lakers, ocean going vessels, and tall-ships up-close as they navigate the Welland Canal at Lake Erie. 

• Friday, August 4 – 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Saturday, August 5 – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday, August 6 – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Monday, August 7 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bracelets will be offered Saturday and Sunday $30.00 per person each day for use from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Regular tickets are available every day, open to close.

All rides are 1 ticket per ride. 

Single tickets $5 each
11 for $50
22 for $90

All rides have height restrictions. 

2024 Canal Days Museum Programming

Coming soon

Canal Days at the Museum is your destination for marine displays and photographs as well as railway and ship models. Find a shady spot to enjoy good music, food, and family fun during Canal Days at the Museum.

Visit the place where Canal Days began!

Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4, 2024

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Port Colborne Museum offers a family-friendly place for old-fashioned fun which celebrates our marine heritage.  

Free Admission, sponsored by Lower Lakes Towing.

Location: T.A. Lannan Sports Complex, 550 Elizabeth Street, Port Colborne.

Registration closes at 12 p.m. No spots will be reserved.

Participation in the Car Show is free and car owners can compete for a number of trophies and prizes. Since there is no entry fee, we ask that you bring a non-perishable food item as a donation.

For more information contact bsteinhaus@napacanada.com

Each year this Car Show grows bigger and better, and features vehicles you will not see anywhere else. If you are a fan of antique and special interest cars, hot rods, low riders, racers, pick-ups, and the irreplaceable 50s, 60s, and 70s classics, this is the car show for you.