Erie Canal Waives Fees for 2017 (for Canadians too)
Apr 25, 2017
For boaters heading to the ICW or power cruisers looking for a spectacularly scenic canal cruise, the Erie Canal system will welcome you with a no charge visit this year.
“Just like Parks Canada is waiving lockage fees for Canada’s 150th birthday, we will permit recreational permit fees in 2017 to celebrate the bicentennial of the Erie Canal’s construction,” Brian Stratton, New York State Canal Corporation director told CYOB. “We encourage our friends from north of the border to join us this year and find out what makes the canal such an iconic waterway.”
On April 15, 1817, the New York State legislature approved construction of the Erie Canal, connecting Albany to Buffalo. Crews began work following the ceremonial first dig on July 4, 1817, in Rome, Oneida County. The Erie Canal was officially completed on October 26, 1825.
New York’s canal system includes four historic canals: the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. The canals form the backbone of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and connect more than 230 historic communities.
The navigation season will run from May 19-Oct. 11. There are long list of cultural and heritage events planned to celebrate the anniversary. To learn more about New York’s canal heritage and bicentennial events, visit:
New York State Canal Corporation www.canals.ny.gov
