The Montreal-Lake Ontario section is generally open water except for an ice cover with a broken track in parts of the South Shore canal, in the Beauharnois canal from above Beauharnois lock to St. Louis bridge, in the eastern part of Lake St. Francis to Pointe Beaudette, and above Eisenhower Lock to Copeland's Cut. One-way navigation is in effect through these areas, except on Lake St. Francis. Navigation will be restricted to daylight hours until the commissioning of lighted aids has been completed. Mariners are warned to exercise extreme caution in the use of winter markers as the position of the markers may have been affected by ice. The installation of navigation aids is in progress.
Further information is available from the appropriate traffic control centres.
Icebreaker assistance is available in the Beauharnois Canal and Lake St. Francis. It is extremely important that ships transiting through ice covered areas and around the ice booms in the Beauharnois canal proceed at the slowest safe speed in order not to disturb the ice fields. Keep to the north of the channel, as there is ongoing work in this area. The Galop ice boom has been removed from the channel. Icebreaker assistance is available.