thumb|right|The historic lighthouse and pier
thumb|Port Dalhousie, in relation to other nearby lakeports.
Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Known for its waterfront appeal, it is home to the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and is historically significant as the terminus for the first three (19th century) routes of the Welland Canal, built in 1820, 1845 and 1889.
Etymology
Port Dalhousie is named after George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, Governor General of British North America. Dalhousie also gave his name to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and to the town of Dalhousie, New Brunswick.
Dalhousie pronounced his own name 'dal-HOW-zee', but this community's name is pronounced locally as 'dal-OO-zee'. It is said that this is a result of the accent of the Scottish sailors and shipbuilders who frequented the Port's establishments (Dalhousie, himself a Scot, used the more upper class English-sounding pronunciation).
History
Port Dalhousie was founded in 1826. The founding of Port Dalhousie was preceded by the development of the Welland Canal and the economic activity that it drew in the first half of the 19th century. While there was various small settlements in the area that went as far back as the 1790s, it was not until Nathan Pawling purchased several parcels of land to form a more formal community that he called “Port Dalhousie” after George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, then Governor-General of British North America. Following the purchase, Pawling placed an advertisement in the newspaper to attract new people to migrate to the community.
Following amalgamation, the Port Dalhousie city hall was converted into a library branch of the St. Catharines Public Library.
Activities
thumb|right|Beach at Lakeside Park
The city's most popular beach, on the shore of Lake Ontario, is located in Port Dalhousie at historic Lakeside Park. Popular activities that take place at the beach are stand up paddle boarding, swimming, kayaking and beach volleyball. The park is home to the Lakeside Park Carousel which was carved by Charles I. D. Looff in 1905 and brought to St. Catharines in 1921. It continues to provide amusement for young and old alike, at just 5 cents a ride.
Port Dalhousie is home to The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta on Martindale Pond. The Regatta, which annually occurs has been happening for "almost 100 years".
Notable people
Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist of the Canadian rock band Rush, reminisces about growing up in Port Dalhousie in his book Traveling Music: Playing Back the Soundtrack to My Life and Times, as well as in his lyrics for Rush's song "Lakeside Park."
Climate
Gallery
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File:The Historic Port Dalhousie Jail.jpg|The historic jail, built in 1845
File:The Port Dalhousie Branch of the St. Catharines Public Library.jpg|The Port Dalhousie Branch of the St. Catharines Public Library. It was community's town hall prior to 1961
File:Lock Street in Port Dalhousie.jpg|Lock Street, the main commercial strip
Image:Welland canal a030561.jpg|Aerial view, 1920
Image:Welland canal a030557.jpg|Aerial view, 1920
Image:Welland canal a030556.jpg|Aerial view, 1920
File:Port Dalhousie Memorial.jpg|A memorial in the town to the local soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars, and in the Korean War.
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