In partnership with the Fitness Inclusion Network at SUNY Upstate's Golisano Center for Special Needs, we are excited to announce the launch of a Virtual 1st Mile Challenge for people with mobility challenges. The free program offers a series of 15 Peloton-style adaptive cycling videos filmed on the Erie Canalway Trail and Onondaga Creekwalk in Onondaga County. Each video features a one-mile trail segment, giving participants the opportunity to complete one mile or to achieve a 15-mile goal by completing each of the 15 video segments.

Participants will be encouraged to move from indoors to the trail itself in the summer months, a major milestone for continuing fitness and experiencing the outdoors along the canal. The Virtual 1st Mile Challenge is an important part of ensuring that recreational experiences along the canal are welcoming, sought after, and accessible to people of all abilities. 

Do you have a tourism project or event in need of support? The NYS Canal Corporation, through the Reimagine the Canals initiative, and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor are accepting applications for the 2023 NYS Canal System Tourism Infrastructure and Events Grants Program.

The program includes two funding categories: Event Support, with an award range of $500 to $3,000, and Tourism Infrastructure & Amenity Support, with an award range of $5,000 to $24,000. Applicants may apply for one or both categories. Applications are open through February 24, 2023.

Great news! The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has begun construction on a $1.7 million project to stabilize the historic aqueduct at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Montgomery County. The project will involve extensive repairs to the aqueduct's foundation and structure, as well as the installation of new interpretive signs to educate visitors about the site's history.

The aqueduct, built in 1841, once carried the Erie Canal over the Schoharie Creek, and is among the oldest remaining original structures of the canal, making it a significant and beloved landmark within the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

2022 ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE

It was a year of investment, engagement, and impact, fueled by a year of support from our many financial contributors. Read our 2022 Annual Report to learn about our activities and accomplishments. 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

CONNECTING WITH AMERICA'S GREAT LOOPERS 

On behalf of the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Vice Chair Paul Comstock recently attended the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association conference in Fort Myers, Florida. The meeting provided opportunities for us to consider promotional opportunities with AGLCA and to hear feedback from “Loopers” who have traveled the 5,000 to 7,500-mile boating route, which includes the NYS Canal System. Feedback on the Erie Canal was overwhelmingly positive with many Loopers praising lock operators and reporting that the Erie Canal was a highlight of the journey.

JOIN THE FEBRUARY 15 CHALLENGE

Get up. Get Out. Get Active! Sign up for the FEBRUARY 15 Challenge and explore the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in winter. Log 15 miles anywhere in the Corridor by February 28 to earn recognition and rewards. Walk, run, hike, snowshoe, or cross-country ski at your local park, state park, on the Canalway Trail, or even in your own neighborhood—if it’s in the Corridor, it counts. SIGN UP!  

WIN THIS BOAT!

Win a Beautiful Oseetah Canoe and Support the NYS Canalway Water Trail. Handcrafted by Placid Boatworks, the Oseetah is an ultralight pack canoe that's perfect for day tripping or longer journeys on the canals. Tickets are $20 each or $100 for 6 tickets. Find details: eriecanalway.org/watertrail