It was Nova Scotia's Governor, Sir John Wentworth, who recognized he could achieve his military and economic goals for this new colony by constructing a canal from Halifax Harbour which would connect to the Shubenacadie River and the Bay of Mines (Minas Basin).
Wentworth’s dream did not move from the drawing board until 1826 as part of an 1820's construction effort throughout British North America to build canals. In Nova Scotia, the canal was further rationalized as a way to avoid a dangerous sail to the Bay of Fundy by way of Cape Sable.
Plans for a system of locks finally took shape with the creation of the Shubenaccadie Canal Company, founded by a group of Halifax merchants including brewer/politician Alexander Keith and Trans-Atlantic ocean baron Samuel Cunard.
By 1856 the Shubenacadie Canal was operating commercially for the first time since it was envisioned by Governor Wentworth in 1794. It would be the longest canal in Maritime Canada. The Inland Navigation Company enjoyed 14 years of modest commercial success. While the canal was never used or needed for the military purpose originally envisioned, goods made their way back and forth along the canal, sometimes heading into Halifax on their way via larger ships in Halifax Harbour to Europe.