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February - March 2018
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boatingonthehudson.com
This empty lot in Syracuse’s inner harbor exemplifies the results of lost industry in upstate
New York. Onondaga Lake once was home to massive industrial complexes which are now
gone. Once extremely polluted, the Lake has been restored ecologically and the adjacent
land is now available for imaginative new projects
ones in western NY or
at Rexford near Lock
7).
The Canal changed
a lot over the years,
being widened in the
1840s, having locks
enlarged in the 1880s,
and finally being
completely replaced
by the “modern” Barge
Canal (now the New
York State Canal
System) in 1918.
Scheduled in 2018
are commemorative
events, ceremonies
and
initiatives
which will provide
educational, historical
and fun experiences
for
boaters
and
landlubbers
alike.
These activities will
feature tourism, industry and other pursuits
(see the Corning Glass Barge story in this
issue for example) by utilizing chambers
of commerce, state, regional and county
tourism agencies as well as local groups to
promote the Canal System locally, nationally
and even to international visitors.
There are so many attractions – bike paths, museums, restaurants,
even hotels, and of course the Locks themselves, a marvel of engineering
even today. And there are lots of ways, even landlocked ones, to enjoy
the journey. A good example of this is the “Cycle the Erie Canal Bike
Tour”,
(www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal). In 2017 more than 650