FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2006
NEW YORK STATE CANAL SYSTEM TO OPEN FOR NAVIGATION THREE DAYS EARLY IN TIME FOR WEEKEND
Friday, April 28 Opening Will Mark First April Opening of Canal in 33 Years
New York State Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello today announced that New York’s Canal System will open for navigation three days ahead of schedule this year – on Friday, April 28 – marking the first time the entire Canal System will be open in April in more than 33 years.
“With one of the most ambitious seasons in recent history planned for the Canal System in 2006, it seemed only fitting to have the canals open ahead of schedule so that more people could come out to take advantage of this tremendous resource,” Director Mantello said. “Not since 1973 have all branches of the Canal System been open for navigation in the month of April and I am tremendously proud of our dedicated men and women who worked so hard to make our early opening possible.”
Traditionally, the opening dates of various sections of the Canal had depended on weather and other factors, but in recent years had been scheduled for the first week of May. The Canal Corporation had previously announced an opening date of May 1, however, employees were able to complete essential winter maintenance and rehabilitation projects ahead of schedule. The Friday opening will allow boaters and other users to take advantage of the anticipated nice weather during the weekend to come out and enjoy a day on the Canals.
State Assemblyman Ron Canestrari said, “New York’s Canal System represents a direct link to the history of this great state and the entire country. The early opening of the system is music to the ears of recreational users as well as the businesses that stand to gain significantly from the extra revenue generated by the use of New York’s Canal System.”
Town of Waterford Supervisor John Lawler said, “This is great news for Waterford and Canal communities all across the State. We applaud the remarkable efforts of the Canal Corporation in getting things ready to go ahead of schedule.”
Village of Waterford Mayor J. Bert Mahoney said, “This shows that the Canal Corporation cares about the economic benefits derived from recreational boating that Canal communities throughout the State enjoy, and will work with communities to maximize those benefits when possible.”
Recreational boaters will not have to purchase Canal passes during the 2006 season and will be able to enjoy longer springtime hours this season. The Canal System will remain open until 7 PM daily, rather than the traditional 5 PM. The Canal Corporation was able to stagger work shifts and bring seasonal employees in earlier in order to accommodate the longer hours at no additional expense to the Corporation.
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.
In late May 2005, Governor Pataki unveiled his vision for establishing an Erie Canal Greenway and, ultimately, an Empire State Greenway, connecting the Niagara, Erie and Hudson River Greenways. The Erie Canal Greenway would incorporate a regional approach to land-use planning, tourism, recreational trail development and other collaborative initiatives while strengthening ties across the Canal Corridor and helping local communities enhance and protect their natural and cultural resources.
At the Governor’s direction, the Canal Corporation and an Interagency Task Force conducted an extensive outreach campaign during the summer and fall of 2005 to gather input and ideas and develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to create the new Erie and Empire State Greenways, as well as examine certain roles and responsibilities currently assigned to the Canal Corporation. The recommendations were delivered in a report to the Governor in December 2005. The complete report is available on the Canal Corporation’s website.
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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