The St. Marys Rapids, rich in fish, drew First Nations to the region about 2,000 years ago, but the rapids hindered fur traders. The North West Company moved to the north shore in 1796 and built a small wooden lock two years later, but it was destroyed during the War of 1812. In 1855, the State of Michigan opened a new canal on the south shore that improved navigation for both countries. After canal officials refused passage in 1870 to the Chicora, a steamer carrying troops west to establish a military presence in the new province of Manitoba, the Canadian government decided to build a lock on its side of the rapids. Opened in 1895, the Sault Ste. Marie Ship Canal had the largest lock in the world and was the first operated by hydroelectric power. It became important to Canada’s westward expansion by carrying wheat, ore, and lumber east and new settlers west. A lock failure in 1987 and the canal’s designation that same year as a national historic site led to a reevaluation of operations. In 1995, federal, provincial, and municipal governments agreed to build a new recreational lock within the historic lock, construction began in 1996, and it was completed for an official opening in July 1998. The new lock combines original canal technology from the 1890s with contemporary design in a unique operation.