Canal Corporation Gears Up for an Exciting 2025 Adventure!

The Canal Corporation is diligently working to prepare for an exciting 2025 through our On the Canals excursions initiative. Originally launched in 2020, On the Canals provides free experiences to individuals, families, and friends wishing to recreate along the New York Canal system and the Empire State Trail, while also assisting numerous businesses in canalside communities. Previous activities have included paddling and biking adventures, narrated historical tours, plein air painting, birdwatching, guided fishing excursions, yoga, snowshoeing, and inclusive activities for everyone, just to name a few. However, we welcome new suggestions!

In that spirit, if you have a suggestion for an excursion, we are eager to hear from you. The Canal Corporation has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for 2025 adventures. If you know of a local business that would make a fantastic collaborator for this initiative, please encourage them to present their idea(s). This is a chance for your community to broaden its recreational offerings and ensure all residents and visitors can access On the Canals programming.

To request the RFQ, including the response form, potential providers should email the New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation at onthecanals@nypa.gov. The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 24, 2025.

Feel free to share the news. The advantages of this program are numerous: It supports local businesses with innovative concepts; it encourages people of all abilities to engage with the canals; and it promotes exploration of canalside communities both before and after their excursion occurs.

We are confident that your collaboration will aid us in realizing our shared vision of a 524-mile inclusive and accessible environment, enhancing the lives of all who visit and reside along the canal. Together, we can forge a future where the Erie Canal and its adjacent canals continue to motivate, unite, and bring economic and social vitality to New York State.