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By: Sarah Seweryniak
The rain couldn’t keep volunteers away for the sixth annual Canal Clean Up, which took place Saturday, April 16.
“I am very pleased to see that the volunteers are here on a rainy and chilly morning,” said City of North Tonawanda Mayor Robert G. Ortt. “It shows the commitment with the people coming out for the sixth annual event, which is getting bigger every year.”
As part of the annual celebration of Earth Day, the event featured more than 50 volunteers, which included North Tonawanda High School students, Niagara Frontier Boat Racing Association members. The clean up, which was run by North Tonawanda Waterfront Commission Committee Chairperson Kevin O’Connor, began at Mayor’s Park off of Sweeney Street and concluded with a luncheon that was sponsored by Ortt.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to give back to a community that gives us so much,” said resident Mitch Banas, who was with his son Jackson volunteering with Boy Scout Troop No. 184.
Since North Tonawanda has been involved in the annual clean-up, the city has noticed that with each passing year there is less debris in the canal, which helps add to the beautification of the city and the waterfront as the city prepares for the beginning of the 187th navigation season.
“We usually do a good job of not only cleaning the canal side by moving debris, but even stuff that’s in the canal or dredging in the canal like logs and branches,” said Alderman Eric Zadzilka.
The City of North Tonawanda’s clean up also runs in conjunction with New York State’s annual canal clean up event. Last year more than 90 groups participated in the weekend clean up. The Canal Corporation, Parks and Trails New York and EFC seek assistance of canal communities and partners to organize clean-up activities in canal parks, along public promenades, and on the Canalway Trail.
“The growth of the Canal Clean Sweep in recent years clearly shows that local pride in the canal and the Canalway Trail is high and the spirit of volunteerism is flourishing across the state. Especially in such challenging economic times, the canal system and Canalway Trail, which are growing in prominence as a world-class tourism destination, become even more important as close-to-home recreational resources for local residents and all New Yorkers,” said Executive Director of Parks and Trails Robin Dropkin. “We are pleased to again join community groups and citizens in cleaning up the canal corridor in advance of the summer season.”
The New York State Canal System is made-up of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals, which span more than 524 miles across New York State.
For more information about events along the New York State Canal System, call 800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.ny.gov.
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