The expansion of the steel industry after the World War II in Canada provoked huge development of traffic volume on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The increasing traffic forced the government to develop the new St. Lawrence Seaway system in 1957. This system allowed The Steel Company of Canada to receive all of its coal, most of its iron ore, a considerable part of its steel scrap and much of its fuel oil by water transportation, which is a much less expensive than the method of transport than by rail. The coal for running Hamilton Works came from American lakes ports and then by lake carriers through Lake Erie, the Welland Canal and Lake Ontario. The company sold steel rolling mill products for shipment to the Upper Lakes Canadian ports and to offshore foreign markets by ships going down the St. Lawrence Seaway. In the 1960s and beyond, the company drew iron ore tonnages from Wabush Mines by waterway of Pointe Noire in Quebec and the St. Lawrence Seaway to the steel-works at Hamilton. There were high expenditures in transporting raw material and products.
This series provides detailed documentation and statistics on freight rates and costs of shipping. It contains information on expenditures, rates, practices, rules and regulations governing the transportation of coal, iron ore and coke from mines in the Northern and Southern fields to the company plants on Lake Erie (Hamilton) and in Montreal. It contains the correspondence and working files produced by F. W. Dean who worked for two decades as Stelco traffic manager. He was responsible for managing, recording and tracking all shipments, deliveries or movement of material by rail-carriers and cargos. His files contain notes and statements of rates for products. Data mentioned are dates, destinations, weight, statements of mileages and rates from to various points, tables of freight rates in Eastern Canada and rates comparison between American vs Canadian ports. They also contain his notes of hearings, arguments, transcripts and briefs submitted to The Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada and to The Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington. Some records are accompanied with maps showing traffic movement on Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
Volumes 335 and 336 consists of A. S. Marshall's files who was Stelco traffic manager during 1960s. They contain mainly correspondence related to the development of St. Lawrence Seaway tolls and traffic.
Of particular interest are ledgers in volume 299 containing agreements for shipments of ore between 1902 and 1940.
