The programme has since expanded to include a range of free, year-round activities for residents and visitors, from historical boat cruises to plein air painting and a full-moon “owl prowl”. This year’s programme will emphasise accessibility via adaptive kayaking, and highlight the stories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, whose members were displaced during canal construction.
Recreational renaissance
Beyond enticing people to get out on the water, On the Canals encourages exploration in more than 200 historic canalside communities – from tiny, scenic Medina, 50 miles east of Buffalo, to the city of Schenectady, whose Stockade district has 40-plus homes that are more than 200 years old. These landscapes vary from historic city centres to generations-old family farms and tranquil open fields. While some paddlers prefer to camp, others take advantage of in-town accommodations like hotels and B&Bs.
For me, post-paddle exploration meant a ramble around Amsterdam, a gem of a small city (population 18,000) with a lovely waterfront; a castle-like 19th-Century armory-turned-hotel; and a park, complete with a waterfall named for native son and Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas.
AlamyFor others, paddling the Erie is a way to connect with a personal history. Paul Comstock, a Geneva, New York‒born septuagenarian, told me about the inspiration for his 21-day trip across the canal in 2013. Comstock’s maternal grandfather, who died before he was born, worked on the waterway. “I thought, ‘What an opportunity to do a multi-day paddle, and get to know this guy who was not really well-thought-of in the family,'” Comstock said. He was so taken with the experience, especially the diversity of people he met along the way, that he has returned each summer to lead paddling tours.
