The canal was constructed between 1823 and 1827 on the initiative of the Dutch King: Belgium (as it subsequently became) and the Netherlands had become a united country under the terms agreed at the Congress of Vienna.

The famous Cluysen - Ter Donck Regatta was organised here for many decades (1888-1954) and during the 1913 Expo of Ghent the European Rowing Championships took place on the canal.

Further development and major enlargement took place during the subsequent century, most notably during the early 1960s.

In February 2015, Flanders and the Netherlands signed a treaty for the construction of a new lock at Terneuzen, scheduled for completion in 2021 and costing €920M.

[1] Today the Ghent-Terneuzen canal is 200 metres wide and 32 kilometers (20 mi) long, capable of accommodating ships of up to 125 000 gross tonnage.