The Wilhelmina Canal runs from the Zuid-Willemsvaart in Laarbeek to the Amer (Meuse) just west of Geertruidenberg and is 68 kilometers long.

The section from Geertruidenberg southward to Lock I in Oosterhout is suitable for ships of up to 135 * 11.5 * 3 m (CEMT class Va).

In recent years improvements have been made to the connection from the Beatrix Canal to the Zuid-Willemsvaart, so that long combinations, and eventually CEMT IV ships can use this section.

Here maximum ship dimensions are 110 * 6.70 * 3 m.[1] Whatever the eventual form of the canal, the primary reason to dig it was to connect Tilburg to the Dutch system of inland waterways.

The plan took into account that making a canal from Tilburg to the Oude Maasje (Meuse) was much more costly, because of the greater difference in height.

[3] In July 1869 the provincial government allowed 1,500 guilders to investigate a plan for a canal from the Zuid-Willemsvaart over Tilburg to Dongen or 's Gravenmoer.

Van den Biesen then suggested that he might take a principal stand, and vote against all other projects if Brabant got nothing.

In 1903 Minister Johannes Christiaan de Marez Oyens made some changes to the plan, leading to a significant increase in cost.

In spite of the non-committal character of the law, the government started to delimit the future course of the canal in July 1906.

[21] In these years a lot of time and money was spent on buying, and where necessary disappropriation, of grounds for the canal.

[24] In October 1910 Den Hartog also got the order to construct a quay Los- en Laadplaats, just north of where the Mark Canal was.

[27] In October 1912 the (since replaced) lock at the eastern end of the Mark Canal, south of the Koningsdijk, was tendered.

[28] The government gave the lock at the Mark Canal the dimensions 65 * 15 m, with a passage width of 7.50 m. This was enough for two ships of 60 * 7 * 1.90 m and better than agreed upon with North-Brabant.

[36] Shortly after, the government asked 5 contractors to make a bid for digging a section east of the Voldijk by hand.

In late June 1915 D. van der Zee was appointed as extraordinary overseer for construction of the section from Lock III till that road.

[39] On 14 February 1919 the section between Dongen and the Tilburg quay at the Lijnschestraat (now IJsselstraat), east of Lock III was opened.

[40] The projected end point of the canal in Tilburg was the Piushaven (Pius Harbor) just south east of the city center.

The first was that between the Tilburg-Loon op Zand road and the Nieuwe Leij, and included a side canal towards Tilburg proper.

The plan for a harbor, housing and industry near the Pius park and street was approved in April 1920.

[42] It seems that celebrations for the opening of the harbor were included in those for the 25th anniversary of Queen Wilhelmina's reign in August 1923.

[43] On 25 October 1916 the canal section from the Zuid-Willemsvaart till the Breugelsche Beek (just east of Son) was tendered.

[45] In October 1917, the connecting section from the eastern border of Best till the Heersdijk (just east of Oorschot) was tendered.

[48] On 9 January 1922 the section from Lieshout till the Double-beam drawbridge in the Kwadeweg at the hamlet Stad van Gerwen was opened.

[57] In 1960 the harbor master of Tilburg put passage on the Wilhelmina Canal at 10,000 ships and over 2,000,000 tons.

[64] In November 2007 the Ministry of Transport and Water Management, North Brabant province and Tilburg municipality signed an agreement.

The objective was to make the canal up to Tilburg suitable for ships of CEMT class IV.

The economy of scale would make water transport cheaper, travel time on the canal would decrease by 30 minutes, and the ultimate goal was to remove trucks from the roads.

[68] To make matters worse, construction of the new Lock II was prohibited due to the nitrogen crisis.

In April 1925 the new Tilburgse Watersportvereniging Wilhelmina opened her Pavilion at the Piushaven, and made a small demonstration with some rowing boats.

Just north of the Beekse Bergen, a section of the canal was widened to create the Watersportbaan Tilburg.