FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2005
SUCCESSFUL CANAL CONNECTIONS TOUR COMES TO A CLOSE
Canal Director speaks to thousands throughout the Canal
System
Community feedback to shape report to Governor Pataki and State Legislators
ALBANY, N.Y. – With its final stop in Ithaca last Friday, the three-month Canal Connections Tour drew hundreds of public officials, community and business leaders to meetings held throughout the Canal Corridor to discuss Governor George E. Pataki’s proposed Erie Canal and Empire State Greenways.
“The Canal Connections Tour, a central component of our extensive canal outreach efforts, has been a major success,” said Carmella R. Mantello, director of the New York State Canal Corporation. “Over the last several months, through regional meetings and various speaking engagements, I’ve met with thousands of local officials and community leaders across the state. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, supporting the Governor’s vision of an interconnected greenway, stretching from Niagara Falls to New York City.”
In addition to the Tour meetings, Mantello spoke to thousands of Canal-community residents at Canal-related conferences, a regional tourism roundtable and Canal-community special events. Appointed in June 2005, Mantello also has met separately with local and community officials, regional planning boards, non-profit organizations and canal interest groups.
“The Canal Connections Tour has started the conversations among our federal, state, local and non-profit partners, but that is just the first step. Just because the Tour has come to a close, doesn’t mean I have stopped listening,” Mantello said. “I have presented the Greenway concept to thousands of community members. I am going to continue to talk and work with these partners to make the Erie Canal and Empire State Greenways viable economic engines and tourism destinations.”
Ten regional meetings were held along the Canal System starting July 27 in
Canajoharie and ending October 28 in Ithaca. Additional Canal Connections Tour
meetings were held in Lockport, Glens Falls, Albany, Seneca Falls,
Baldwinsville, Utica, Oswego and Pittsford.
The Canal Connections Tour is one component of the New York State Canal
Corporation
Interagency Task Force’s extensive outreach effort. The Task Force’s goal is to
gather input and ideas from federal, State and local planners, as well as from
Canal interest groups.
The meetings included a presentation by Director Mantello, followed by a productive dialogue with local participants.
“The most valuable parts of the Tour were the conversations,” Mantello said. “I appreciate the frankness of the meeting participants. It provided a first-hand look at the issues facing communities along the Canal System. A greenway is all about helping Canal communities use a regional approach to work through these challenges to achieve a common goal.”
Information collected on the Tour, through the Erie Canal Greenway feedback
web address and in Director Mantello’s conversations will be used in developing
recommendations for creating the new Greenways. The Task Force will submit
recommendations to Governor Pataki, the State Legislature and the Canal
Corporation Board in December. The report will be used by the Governor to draft
legislation to establish the Erie Canal Greenway next year.
* * *
The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the
Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles
across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake
Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history
and culture.
For more information about tourism attractions along the New York State Canal System, please call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us.
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