Along with the Turn of the Century came change. Lakeside Park continued to attract vacationers and the downtown quarter was alive with activity. The crowds overflowed from the park and the summer months were very busy. With the gas rationing and shortage of cars during the war, many people in Toronto couldn't go north to vacation so they'd take the boat to Port Dalhousie. Every available room in town was rented and some families slept out in tents and rented their homes.

Shortly after the turn of the century it once again became obvious that canal improvements had to be made. Larger ships were being built which the canal could not accommodate. The movement of goods was inefficient as they had to be transferred to small canalers. This was time consuming, costly and inconvenient.

Construction on the fourth canal, the Welland Ship Canal, commenced in 1913. With the outbreak of war in August 1914, work on the canal slackened until 1916, when it was completely halted due to the shortage of materials and manpower.

The canal, finally completed in 1932, had eight concrete locks, the route was straightened and the Lake Ontario terminal moved three miles east to Port Weller. Although the relocation did have a marked effect on the town's economy and employment status, improvements continued to be made and the aftermath was not as disastrous or detrimental to the businesses as initially anticipated.

In 1912 the lighting plant in the rubber factory was bought by the village whereby they commenced to control their own electricity.
In 1920 a waterworks system was built which secured water from St. Catharines.

In 1922 sewers were installed on Front, Lock and Main Streets and two years later extended to the entire village. Lock and Main Streets were the first to receive concrete pavements in 1923.

The following year the War Memorial at the corner of Ann and Main Streets was erected in honour of those who had died in the War.

Even though a great deal of the shipping commerce left Port Dalhousie with the building of the Welland Ship Canal, established businesses survived and flourished. The twenty-seven year partnership of Murphy & Scott dissolved and Frank Scott went into business on his own in 1913.
His new store was located at the corner of Main and Lock Streets next to the Lion Hotel. There had been a blacksmith shop on the lot but it was moved to the back and the store built in the front. Both have since been torn down.

In 1925 Mr. Latcham who had previously worked for Mr. Murphy, moved into this store and stocked it with groceries, hardware and meat. Harrigan tugs was his sole customer then but by 1930 he was servicing over fifty ships. As business was steadily increasing, it became necessary to move to a larger location at 122 Main St. and then later into Murphy's store on Front Street.

The Muir dry dock, still in existence at the time, was managed by Charles A. Ansell until 1946 when he began operating a ship repair facility at Port Weller. The dry dock was sold and the name changed to Port Dalhousie Shipyards. It was later purchased by Gayport Shipping and then by the Port Weller Dry Dock Limited in 1953. Barges and tugs were built, and the shipyard was capable of docking and repairing vessels 260 feet in length. It was gradually phased out as the ships continued to grow in size.

The ground floor of Dalhousie House at one time contained the store and supply office for the shipyard, and the manager's office was situated on the second floor. The building next to Dalhousie House contained the blacksmith, carpenter and machine shops, the mould loft and business office.

New enterprises were attracted to Port Dalhousie despite the canal alteration In 1940 the Nubone Corset Company of Canada purchased Dalhousie Hall located at 48 Main St and began operations. Built around 1915, the building had been the dormitory for the female employees of the rubber plant.

The company's stockrooms were on the ground floor while the first floor housed the executive offices, reception desk and fitting rooms. The second floor contained the manufacturing departments where corsets and other garments were produced. The company provided a steady source of employment until September 16, 1960 when it was gutted by fire. It was rebuilt into an apartment building that is in use today.

Although the Nubone Corset Company had been the first manufacturing firm to operate in Port Dalhousie since the closing of the rubber factory in 1929, it would not be the last.

After World War Two, the rubber plant housed five companies: Silver Flex Company makers ot reflective insulation; Niagara Starch Company, manufacturers of glutinol and starch; the R. D. Werner Company; the G. A. Mogridge Company, makers of tape; and the importing firm of Strongridge Limited. It is presently the home of Lincoln Fabrics Company.

Although Port Dalhousie did suffer somewhat from the canal relocation, a mass exodus did not occur and in 1948 the village was incorporated as a town with Romaine K. Ross as its first mayor. The council consisted of Reeve John P. Hunt, Deputy Reeve Neil Christie, Clerk/Treasurer William Graham and Councillors James Murdock, Joseph Beswick, Fred Stout, Wes Zimmerman, B. R. Wright and Owen Corfield.

Lakeside Park continued to attract vacationers and the downtown quarter was alive with activity. The crowds overflowed from the park and the summer months were very busy. With the gas rationing and shortage of cars during the war, many people in Toronto couldn't go north to vacation so they'd take the boat to Port Dalhousie. Every available room in town was rented and some families slept out in tents and rented their homes. Enough money could be made in the summer to buy fuel for the winter and pay the taxes. This was quite an asset to a working man with a family.

Mr. Frank Lawson used to run a gas station/taxi stand at the corner of Lock and Front Streets. The women in the village spent many afternoons in his place talking and drinking coffee. He sold hamburgers, chips, hot dogs and sandwiches to the various people who would visit the town.

By 1950 the street cars were taken off and the number of people visiting the park dropped greatly.

Competitive rowing became popular in Canada during the 1860's and 1870's. The historic Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, held here since 1903, is the major rowing event of North America, drawing oarsmen from Canada, United States, Mexico and other areas. The Canadian Association of Amateur Oarsmen, formed in Toronto in 1880, held the regatta annually in various Canadian centres. The Port Dalhousie course, protected by the high banks, became the permanent site in 1903.

In 1904 a grandstand was constructed at the point overlooking the finish line and a clubhouse was built at the southern end of the course.
The Henley Regatta Club House was half way up the Martindale Road, not very far from where the bridge crosses now for the Q.E.W.

A second shell and clubhouse was built where the present grandstand sits. As the event steadily attracted more participants and spectators, it became necessary to build a more adequate grandstand. So, in 1931 the clubhouse was torn down and a larger grandstand constructed in its place.

The Rowing Club began using the former Gateworks building of the Third Canal to store boats until 1967 when the new boathouse was built on Henley Island. The third World Rowing Championships were held on the Henley course in 1970 as it was the only course in North America that met international standards. A dredging project costing over $500,000 had been completed in 1966 especially for this event.

The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta continues to provide enjoyment to the many people who arrive every summer to watch the races.

Since incorporation in 1948, the housing in Port Dalhousie has increased with the building of three subdivisions in the west end of the town—the Gracefield, Cole Farm and Westport subdivisions. It is unfortunate that valuable orchards were sacrificed in the process. As Port Dalhousie is a peninsula, any growth can only be in this direction.

Excerpts of this history of Port Dalhousie are from a book on Port Dalhousie by Christine Robertson and Dennis Cushman, copies of which are avaialable through the Port Library on Brock Street