For Immediate Release:
09/06/17
Contact:
William Sweitzer
| William.Sweitzer@canals.ny.gov
Media Realations | (518) 449-6004
REPLICA CANAL BOAT LOIS MCCLURE RETURNS TO FINGER LAKES, CENTRAL NEW YORK PORTS AS PART OF CANAL BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Authentic Replica of 1800s Canal Boat will be Open to the Public During World Canals Conference
Residents and visitors to the Finger Lakes and Central New York can step aboard an authentic replica of an 1800s Canal boat, and step back through time over the next several weeks as the Lois McClure – a replica of an 1862 sailing canal boat – docks in the communities of Clyde, Seneca Falls, Phoenix, and Brewerton as part of a season-long voyage along New York’s historic canals.
Additionally, the vessel will be open to the public in the Syracuse Inner Harbor on Sept. 24 as part of an array of activities to mark the start of the four-day World Canals Conference.
The New York State Canal Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are partnering with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to bring the Lois McClure to the canal corridor this year as part of a year-long celebration of the 200th anniversary of the start of construction for the Erie Canal, an occasion that has sparked a summer of celebrations across the state. The groundbreaking of the Erie Canal was held in Rome, N.Y. on July 4, 1817.
The Lois McClure is carrying a cargo of tree seedlings provided by NYSDEC that will be delivered to canal communities during its journey. These seedlings help tell the story of white oak and white pine, the wood used to build canal boats in the 19th century.
The schedule for public boarding in these communities appears below:
- Clyde – Sept. 7, 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
- Seneca Falls – Sept. 9-10, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Phoenix – Sept. 14, 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
- Brewerton – Sept. 16-17, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Syracuse – World Canals Conference – Sept. 24, 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
For more information and a complete schedule for the Lois McClure, visit http://www.lcmm.org/our_fleet/lois_mcclure_schedule.htm
For media to arrange to ride aboard Lois McClure please contact Eloise Beil at (802) 475-2022 ext. 107 or eloiseb@lcmm.orgs
About the New York State Canal Corporation
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 hundreds of unique and historic communities. In 2017, New York will celebrate the bicentennial for the start of the Erie Canal’s construction.
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