In 1918, the statue of the Honourable William Hamilton Merritt was erected by his grandson, Colonel William Hamilton Merritt III. A Toronto artist was selected for the job and in December of 1928, the statue of William Hamilton Merritt was unveiled. The statue remains in its original location opposite Merritt’s home and facing southwest in the direction of the first Welland Canal.
Details
St. Paul Street West and McGuire Street | Alfred Howell | 1935
Description
This statue is a tribute to the father of Canadian transportation who through initiatory steps in first waterways and sailways earned that title. He projected and carried to a successful completion the bridging of the cataract of Niagara by the Welland Canal, 1824-29, the first railway suspension bridge in the world spanning the gorge of the same river 1846-1855 and the Welland Railway 1855-1858.
