Scuba Charter Association
from the bottom up!!!
U.S.S.C.A.
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For centuries past the St. Lawrence River has been the link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great lakes. Thus allowing some amazing history to take place from Indians to Norsemen (Viking), French, Spanish and English explorers to Settlers. Amongst amazing growth this area also witnessed many wars through out the 1700s and 1800s. French vs. British, The seven year war, which is considered to be the first global war ever fought, and the war of 1812 - United States vs. Canada. Industry has also been recorded throughout history - logging to merchant ships. Unknown to a lot we even had our pirates too. Pirate Bill Johnston whom is responsible for at least one ship wreck in the area - The Sir Robert Peel. The area is now widely used for transport and recreation.
ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
Through the late 1940s and the 1950s a lot of work went into the seaway making way for the ships of today. Villages and towns were moved from low lying areas to alternate locations to allow for the flooding of the river, in order to increase its depth. Some areas were dredged other areas were blasted. From this era we have two shipwrecks the JB King and America. In 1959 when all work was finally completed the seaway opened itself up to larger ships requiring more draft and larger locks.
The Seaway can now handle ships up to 740' long x 78' wide (beam) that draw or draft no more than 26' of water and sit no higher than 116.5' above the water. The St. Lawrence river links up to Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior to form this amazing trade route known as the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes Seaway. It runs for 2,038 nautical miles (2,342 statute miles) or 3,700 Kilometers, encompassing 95,000 square miles of navigable water ways.
U.S.S.C.A.
Our association was formed in 1997 by the few dive charter operators in existence at the time to work together to better diving in the Brockville and surrounding area. Seven seasons later we have been at an average of twenty members strong and have grouped together with other associations whom share the same interests. Our missions now are to promote the area as a dive destination, work together to preserve our nautical history and still provide and strive to better diving in the area and provide the safest possible charters via protocols and mandates.