Replica Canal Boat Lois McClure Returns to Capital Region Ports as part of Canal Bicentennial Celebration

For Immediate Release: 10/03/17

The Capital Region has two more chances to step aboard an authentic replica of an 1800s canal boat and step back through time this week as the Lois McClure – a replica of an 1862 sailing canal boat – docks in Halfmoon and Waterford as she completes a season-long voyage along New York’s historic canals.

The New York State Canal Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation partnered 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 has been carrying a cargo of tree seedlings provided by DEC that has been 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:

Halfmoon (Crescent Terminal, north side of Route 9 bridge) – Oct. 5, 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.;
Waterford – Oct. 8, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

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 tour the Lois McClure please contact Eloise Beil at (802) 475-2022 ext. 107 or eloiseb@lcmm.org

About the New York State Canal Corporation

The Canal Corporation runs the New York State Canal System, which includes the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca canals. Spanning 524 miles, the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. In 2017, the Canal Corporation celebrated the 200th anniversary of the groundbreaking for the Erie Canal, which occurred in the city of Rome on July 4, 1817. The Canal System includes the Erie Canalway Trail, a multi-use trail designed to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and cross-country skiers. Together, the canals and trail create a world-class recreationway that is a vibrant, scenic and unique New York resource.

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Contact

William Sweitzer
William.Sweitzer@canals.ny.gov
Media Realations
(518) 449-6004