The canal goes right through the heart of the city, and the lock in the centre of town attracts thousands of tourists a year.
Many regard Thorold as nothing more then a southern suburb of the much larger City of St. Catharines, much to the dismay of local Thorold residents who fight hard to preserve their local identity. Threat of annexation by St. Catharines led to Thorold incorporating as a city in 1975. It is widely believed that names were taken from tombstones in local cemeteries to provide Thorold with the required population needed to become a city.
The city was first incorporated in 1850 and became a city in 1975.