Back in 2015, the Canal Society of New York State and the Canadian Canal Society went through the process of planning a study tour of the canals along the St. Lawrence that predated the St. Lawrence Seaway. There is still quite a bit to see and it can be done in a couple days. Plans were made, a guidebook written, and then it all fell apart due to timing. The study tours are typically held in the spring and fall. However, some sites in Canada don’t open until June, so it just didn’t work.
So, if you want to plan your own trip, here is the 2015 guidebook.