Early in June, 1969, this message was broadcast to all ships on the St. Lawrence Seaway, "Notice to Mariners", as of June 23, 1969, the main light at Port Weller Lighthouse will be extinguised, and the tower and markings subsequently removed from that location. Thus, the tower, traditional symbol of lighthouses for hundreds of years, would no longer guide the ships of all nations through the entrance into the Welland Ship Canal ; a vital waterway connecting two great lakes of the world famous St. Lawrence Seaway.