ST LAWRENCE SEAWAY TO OPEN ON SCHEDULE The St Lawrence Seaway and the Welland Canal linking Lakes Erie and Ontario were expected to open as scheduled on March 31 and April 1, respectively, a St Lawrence Seaway official said. The entire Seaway is already free of ice due to the mild Winter and could be open for navigation today, "but there doesn't seem to be enough demand from shipping companies to warrant an early opening," the Canadian official said. Repairs are continuing at a stepped up pace on the Welland Canal and should be completed by the April 1 start-up date, she added.