For Immediate Release: September 20, 2005
NEW YORK CANAL SYSTEM NAMED ONE OF 10 GREAT VACATION
ESCAPES IN THE WORLD BY MOTORBOATING MAGAZINE
Come Cruise the Past and Unlock Your Next Boating Adventure
New York State Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello today announced that the New York State Canal System has been recognized as one of 10 Great Escape boating vacations in the world by Motorboating Magazine. The designation, featured in the magazine’s October 2005 edition, highlights the Canal’s growing reputation as a unique vacation destination for boaters, along with places such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; The Spanish Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; Venice, Italy; and the River Shannon in Ireland.
Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello said, “We’ve always known that New York’s Canal System is a tremendous recreational, cultural and historic resource. This designation is further evidence that our investments in the future of the Canal System are working to provide a fun and exciting vacation destination that attracts visitors and boating enthusiasts from all over the world.
“It is an honor to be recognized among such great boating destinations around the globe. Consistent with the Governor’s vision, the Canal Corporation has invested millions of dollars to improve essential boating amenities across the State, especially at the seven major canal harbors and dozens of service ports. As a result of these efforts, today, more and more boaters are enjoying the incredible resources offered by our upstate communities. As part of the Governor’s, State legislature’s and Canal Board’s new direction for the Canal, we are working with local communities from Buffalo to Albany to further promote the unlimited potential of the Canal as an engine for economic growth and tourism,” Mantello added.
Under Governor Pataki’s Canal Revitalization Program, the Canal Corporation has invested $13 million to develop seven harbors and $20 million for 14 Canalway Trail projects, including 98 miles of construction. Additionally, in partnership with other state agencies, the Canal Corporation has helped implement more than $200 million in local projects along the Canal System.
The historic branches of the New York State Canal System, comprised of the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca canals, offer a wide array of recreational and cultural activities for both boaters and landside users to enjoy. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, these waterways link the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.
Across the Canal System, visitors can enjoy a multitude of amenities such as full service marinas and service ports, restaurants, shopping, museums and historic sites, including the original Erie Canal locks and aqueducts. Modern and historic attributes in these regions combine to offer an eclectic and unique mix of fun, education and relaxation.
In late May 2005, Governor Pataki unveiled his vision for establishing the Erie Canal Greenway and, ultimately, the Empire State Greenway, connecting the Niagara, Erie and Hudson River Greenways. The Greenway concept seeks to incorporate a regional approach to land-use planning, tourism, recreational trail development and other collaborative initiatives. The purpose of the Erie Canal Greenway is to strengthen local ties across the Canal Corridor, while protecting and enhancing its natural and cultural resources for future generations.
The Canal Corporation and an interagency task force are conducting an outreach campaign to gather input and ideas and develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to create the new Erie and Empire State Greenways and examine certain roles and responsibilities currently assigned to the Canal Corporation. The recommendations will be delivered in a report to the Governor by December 2005.
For more information about news and events along the New York State Canal System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us.
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