Why Canadian battleships on the Great Lakes would backfire

What if Canada built twelve pre-dreadnoughts on the Great Lakes?

The discussion questions the mission and expects a costly building race favoring US industry, alongside restrictions on armed ships on the lakes.

The first question is what mission Canadian pre-dreadnoughts on the lakes would serve. The discussion then raises restrictions on warships there and recalls permissions associated with museum ships such as Haida and Little Rock. If Canada built battleships locally, the participants expect American lake shipyards to answer and outbuild them. That would create an expensive competition with little attraction for Canada. A further speculative suggestion considers moving a lightly fitted hull through inland waterways and transporting heavy equipment separately. The passage does not provide a verified route or dimensions for such a movement.