The Beat

More than 100 Canal Clean Sweep Events Scheduled across New York State

Volunteer groups across New York State are making final preparations for the annual Canal Clean Sweep, the spring cleaning of the NYS Canal System and Canalway Trail, with most events scheduled for the upcoming weekend, April 23-25, 2021. More than 100 Clean Sweep events have been scheduled across the 524-mile-long Canal System, providing opportunities for residents to give back to their local communities and to show pride in a unique cultural and recreational resource.

Albany, NY – Use along the Erie Canalway Trail and Champlain Canalway Trail increased in 2020, according to the 2020 Who’s on the Trail report from Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) and the New York State Canal Corporation (NYSCC). The Canalway Trail system as a whole saw an estimated 4.2 million visits in 2020, including just under four million visits to the 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail between Albany and Buffalo and approximately 288,000 visits to the 90-mile Champlain Canalway Trail between Waterford and Whitehall.

Waterford, NY -- The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is pleased to announce that 13 non-profit organizations and municipalities will receive Erie Canalway IMPACT! Grants in 2021 totaling $108,787. The grants advance vital work to preserve and showcase canal heritage, educate youth, and welcome people to explore the canal in their local communities.

The grants range from $1,500 to $12,000 and will leverage an additional $146,630 in private and public project support.

Oswego, NY. – Did you know there is an island dedicated to a spy in Mexico, New York or that there is a World War II tug that shot down a Nazi plane now docked in Oswego’s inner harbor? The new Sailor Sam Canal to Shore Challenge program from the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego will help you answer all of these questions and many more. This program, sponsored in part by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the NYS Canal Corporation seeks to take participants of all ages, in groups or as individuals, on a quest to see and learn more about the hidden history along our local waterways.

The Museum’s Sailor Sam mascot identifies 23 historic points of interest along the Oswego Canal, Oswego Harbor and Lake Ontario in a Logbook available through the Museum. Individuals, family groups, youth groups, school groups and others can purchase this special Logbook and then visit all 23 sites, learning more about the fascinating and unique stories that unfold at each site.

Waterford, NY – Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor invites New Yorkers to take part in the Canalway Challenge this fall, tracing history and tracking miles along New York’s canals and Canalway Trail. Part fitness challenge, part journey of discovery, the Canalway Challenge is free and registration is open to people of all ages and abilities. Participants set their own mileage goal and walk, run, cycle or paddle to achieve it.

Nearly 1,000 individuals, teams, and organizations have signed up for the Canalway Challenge in 2020, pledging to walk, run, cycle, and paddle 126,000 miles to date.

Deadline for Submission: August 28, 2020

Waterford, N.Y. - Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is calling for entries for its 15^th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Images should convey the unique character of New York’s canals and canal communities. Entries must be postmarked by August 28, 2020. Winning photos will be featured in the 2021 Erie Canalway calendar.

Images will be judged in four contest categories: On the Water, Along the Trail, Canal Communities, and Classic Canal. Judges will select first, second, and third place winning images in each category, as well as 12 honorable mentions.

Recipients offer models of successful heritage development

Waterford, NY - The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is pleased to announce recipients of the 2020 Erie Canalway Heritage Award of Excellence: Erie Canal Heritage Park at Port Byron and Gateway Harbor of the Tonawandas in North Tonawanda and Tonawanda. The Port of Newark in Newark received Honorable Mention.

Deadline for Submission: August 28, 2020

Waterford, N.Y. – Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is calling for entries for its 15th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Images should convey the unique character of New York’s canals and canal communities. Entries must be postmarked by August 28, 2020. Winning photos will be featured in the 2021 Erie Canalway calendar.

Waterford (5/1/20) – Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor invites New Yorkers to take part in the Canalway Challenge in 2020, tracing history and tracking miles along New York’s canals and Canalway Trail. Part fitness challenge, part journey of discovery, the Canalway Challenge is free and registration is open to people of all ages and abilities.

“Staying healthy is a #1 priority for everyone right now. The Canalway Challenge is a great way for people to get outside and invest in mental and physical health, while exploring the canals in their local area,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

19,500  Free calendars distributed across upstate NY

Waterford, NY – The public is invited to pick up a free 2020 Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor calendar starting December 1, 2019 at selected libraries and visitor centers throughout the National Heritage Corridor. The calendar features winning images from this year’s Erie Canalway photo contest.